Just One Look
by Jasic
Summary: Shock didn't suspect Lock to be spying on her, but she catches him, and there's hell to pay. Now these two are left with some unspoken feelings, and a couple things they need to figure out. But it was just one look...right? LxS Continued! New title
1. Start to Finish

A/N: Lock, Shock and Barrel are not related (at least not here). This is a Lock/Shock fic and if ya don't like it then don't read. Hope all those fluffy Lock/Shock shippers enjoy this!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Nightmare Before Christmas; it's Tim Burton's… dumbass lawyers…

_Lock Shock Barrel Lock Shock Barrel Lock Shock Barrel Lock Shock Barrel_

"My dress!" An angry yell came from the kitchen of the tree house, home to Lock, Shock and Barrel. The oldest of the three thundered down the stairs, his red tail swishing violently behind him. As he reached the doorway of the creaky old eating room, he saw Shock holding out a section of her dress with pinched fingers, sticky and wet, while Barrel rushed around the kitchen trying to mop something off the floor.

"What happened here?" Lock asked as he crept along the floorboards, expertly avoiding the puddles of red and Shock's infuriated looks.

"Barrel here was _stupid_ enough to knock over _another_ carton of Blood Juice! And this was the last dress I have that _fits_ me!" She yelped, throwing Lock a look that made his stomach twist up. He pushed it away quickly, as this was obviously not the time. "The rest were all destroyed when you had your growth spurt!" Shock seethed, through clenched teeth; her normally pale cheeks a bright fuchsia.

"Hey! I was clumsy…but not as clumsy as Barrel!" Lock shot back, ripping open the old refrigerator door and sifting through it for something edible. He knew if he actually looked Shock in the eye he'd probably burst out laughing.

" Were too!" Shock stuck out her tongue.

"Was not!" The devil argued.

"Were too!" His cohort gave him a face.

"Was not!" He yelled back, throwing a pickled frog leg at her. But she caught it and popped it in her mouth.

"Thanks loser!" She grinned, before marching out of the room and up the stairs to her room to change. Lock just rolled his icy blue eyes and fell into a huff.

Barrel gave an exasperated look to Lock's back as he threw some soaked towels in the garbage. _Honestly,_ he thought to himself. _It's like they don't even know they like each other!_ Though no one could actually tell, Barrel wasn't as stupid as he looked.

_Lock Shock Barrel Lock Shock Barrel Lock Shock Barrel Lock Shock Barrel_ Come back baby please come—we belong toget… 

"Ew," Her statement was short and simple as Shock shut of the radio, almost as quickly as she had put it on. She muttered to herself and started to bustle around the now empty house, throwing her lavender dress, with it's now day old stain, into the sink for a good scrub. Try as she could, the Blood Juice wouldn't leave.

She had tried ghoul saliva. She had tried bat venom. And she had even used her scorpion-scaled scrubbing brush! Nothing was working. She sadly lifted the droopy garment out of the metal basin and flung it to the garbage pail with wrinkled hands, tired of hours forced into ice-cold water. It seemed as if she was stuck wearing mortal clothing, as most of Halloween Town favored in the middle of the colder weather they had each year.

Her tiny feet pattered along the dirty tile as she started to gather this and that from the old decaying cabinets of candy and food. She put down a set of ingredients on the counter and found her cookbook, "Cooking for Witches of the 20th Centaury". She flipped to a page, a good halfway through the 546 pages and began her work. Only stopping to close the window that had been blowing the cold, eternal October wind onto her bare skin. She contemplated getting her robe or a sweatshirt to throw over her thin, and quite revealing, silk slip, or even changing, but she became too wrapped up and preoccupied with her cooking and soon forgot about the idea of that.

But as she rushed around, Shock found herself waiting around on top the cushion of a patched, old stool, waiting for her brew to boil. She praised the gods that Barrel had left for his class trip earlier, and that Lock was out late, doing whatever shit he normally did. She would hate to get caught in _this_ thing. I mean, they may not be her blood relatives, but them catching her walking around in a slip? I think not.

_If only I could get this brew cooking already…then I'd actually have time to go and change!_ She thought irritably, rubbing her upper arms with her hands to generate heat.

Shock frowned, annoyed at the oversized pot sitting on the stove. She reached to take off the lid, but immediately jumped back at the touch of the fiery hot metal "Fuck!" She cursed, running some cold water to keep it under. But walking over to get a towel, she stepped on a firecracker tack that one of the boys must have left around, and the second it was lodged in her foot, it exploded. Not only did this leave a black mark on the floor, but it also left Shock sitting on her ass, holding her foot and wishing some quite violent things on the boys for leaving this out, and herself for not wearing boots.

"Fuck, fuck, and double fuck! Of all the days to get a burn _and_ one of Lock or Barrel's stupid toys exploding in my foot it had to be this one!" She pulled herself up uneasily and hopped, one-legged, over to the cabinet under the sink, wobbling quite a few times and almost falling over on occasion. She was so preoccupied she didn't hear the clink of the basket elevator raising up.

_Lock Shock Barrel Lock Shock Barrel Lock Shock Barrel Lock Shock Barrel_

Lock entered into the house quietly, as always, and set down his bag rather roughly. He'd been out walking through the town graveyard after school and before he knew it, the moon was out and he was halfway into the forest that held the doors to the other holidays.

He looked up at the clock on the wall with the broken second hand, and read _6:53, _ just as a crash came from the kitchen. He cocked one of his electric red eyebrows and slipped out of his black sneakers, tiptoeing to the frame of the door and hiding behind one of the giant urns so he couldn't be seen.

He had suspected that it was Shock cooking, but it looked a little more chaotic than that. She was bent over one of her feet wrapping it with a bandage, while her left hand was already covered in one. _What happened here?_ Lock wondered to himself, making sure he didn't actually say the words out loud and reveal his hiding spot.

Just as she was done, she stood up, revealing the outfit she had on at the time. Lock practically felt his eyes bulging out of his skull. Shock looked…there were no thoughts or words to describe it. Her purple, spaghetti strap, silk slip was trimmed with black lace, and fell so short it hardly made it to her mid-thighs. Not the Shock he knew. Definitely not the same Shock he lived with. And certainly not the same girl he…well, you know…_liked._ Right?

It's nothing Lock…stop thinking those nasty little thoughts you caught with too often! She was probably um…maybe she got robbed? No, who would rob someone's clothes here? He spotted the sink full of bubbles though, and then the cleaning astringents surrounding it and it clicked in his mind. Cleaning! Her dress…duh! No, honestly Lock, she was walking around in undergarments for **fun**! Oh lord I'm having a conversation with my self… 

Lock managed to tear himself away from his thoughts as him mind fell all the way to the gutter. He had noticed that Shock was searching for something…in the cabinet below the sink. She bent over, and her dress rode up in the back.

_Just a little more…c'mon…_ He coaxed, as she dug deeper through the musty little dark space. Her skirt inched up a little more, and Lock grinned as he saw the trimmings of a pair of lacey, black laundray. His dark jeans suddenly felt a little tight and his cheeks flushed redder than red.

"Dammit!" He whispered to himself, not realizing what he had just done. He was occasionally exceedingly stupid, especially I times of, ahem, well…_arousment._ Oh course this was no exception. H should have remembered that Shock had hearing like a gargoyle. It wouldn't be surprising if she could hear the music allt eh way in town right now.

Shock reeled around and straightened herself up, hitting her head on the top of the cabinet in the process. "Shit! Who's there?" She cursed, walking forward towards the entrance as she held her tiny hand to the back of her head, among the tendrils of her black wavy hair. "Hey who's there? This isn't funny!" She yelled, suddenly aware that the only person who would be in here was Lock…and then immediately after, how incredibly naked she looked right now.

"Lock if your hiding I swear I'm going to rip of your tail and hang it on the wall if you don't get your ass out here right now!" She was sweating lightly, and now held her folded arms tightly across her chest.

Lock stood up from where he had been waiting for his stiffy to go away (thank the fucking heavens it did) and gave a slanted, uneasy grin. "Uh…h-hey Shock…um, what's up?"

"How…how long…have you been _hiding_ there?" She muttered, giving him a look that seemed unnerving, and almost afraid. He saw her swallow a lump in her throat and tried determinedly not to let a red hot blush come across her face.

"Only a couple minuets…but um, what's going on Shock?" He asked, taking a step towards her. She looked upset, almost hurt, which was unusual for her. He would have thought she'd be angry at him…not look like she was about to cry!

She fidgeted with her hands and quickly muttered, "Nothing. It's nothing! I…gotta go…tired…" She then turned on her heel and awkwardly dashed up the stairs, each one creaking as her weight shifted onto them. Lock was about to go after her, but stopped, just staring at the spot she had stood at just moments ago.

What had happened back there? What was wrong with Shock? I mean, it wasn't like he did anything. What could possibly make her react that way?

I mean it would make sense if she liked him…in a way. But never in a million years would that happen. Lock knew Shock, and she would never in a million years go for him right? She was too good for him right? That's why she'd always just been a dream…right?

_Lock Shock Barrel Lock Shock Barrel Lock Shock Barrel Lock Shock Barrel_

Lock sat in his room, on the ledge of his open window that was blowing in the wind. One of his legs was propped up on the windowsill, while the other dangled over the edge. His eyes were hard and held no feeling but deep concentration as he looked out on the horizon of Halloween Town. The Harvest Moon was hanging high, illuminating the entire sky and all of its contents below.

A familiar sound of leaves crunching under footsteps began to ring in Lock's ears. He fixated his gaze to the ground below him, where Shock was now walking towards the old oak tree in their yard. Waves of orange, red, yellow and brow, swept alongside her, like they were playing tag with the stormy breeze. Lock noticed that her attire had changed, as she was now suited in a pair of baggy blue-jeans, combat boots, and a slightly oversized zip-up hoody, that was too long on the arms.

She was keeping her head down, as her raven locks flapped about her face. More than once she could be seen tucking a piece of it behind an ear nervously, like she was afraid of being seen. A small tune could be heard floating through Lock's window. She was humming to herself. Humming a quiet, velvety song with a beautiful voice. She had always been the best singer of the three. Ever since her voice changed at 14, going lower, and not so squeaky.

She fell onto the swing gracefully, it plunging downwards for a moment as she did. Both of her hands were wrapped around the rusty metal chains, connecting the wooden plant to the tree branch above, and for a while all she did was sit, and rocking the seat back and forth gently, humming to herself. One of Lock's ears perked up as he began to hear a soft lullaby voice.

"Tough, you think you've got the stuff…you're telling me and anyone you're hard enough," Shock sang to herself, so softly that Lock had to strain to hear it. "You don't have to put up a fight. You don't have to always be right… Let me take some of the punches for you tonight…"

_She sounds so sad…_ Lock thought, resting an elbow on his knee and gazing almost longingly at the teenage witch below him.

"Listen to me now, I need to let you know, you don't have to go it alone." She paused, shivering slightly and tucking some more hair behind her ear. "And it's you when I look in the mirror…and it's you when I don't pick up the phone. Sometimes you can't make it on your own…"

A gust of wind blew as she sang the last line, her voice almost getting lost in the growling wind. Her song was so lonely, and it made Lock's throat twist up every time she belted out another line. "We fight all the time, you and I...that's alright. We're the same soul, but I don't need...I don't need to hear you say that if we weren't so alike, you'd like me a whole lot more."

The song was starting to ring something familiar in Lock's mind. _We fight all the time…sounds exactly like me and her. Honestly, if I didn't know any better…_

"I know that we don't talk, I'm sick of it all. Can you hear me when I…

Sing, you're the reason I sing, you're the reason why the opera is in me... But…where are we now? I've still got to let you know, a house still doesn't make a home. Don't leave me here alone..."

Who is she talking about? Er…singing about…honestly, one of these days I'm going to start saying these things out loud! Oh fuck this!

"And it's you when I look in the mirror, and it's you that makes it hard to let go…

Sometimes you can't make it on your own…no, sometimes you can't make it, the best you can do is to fake it.

Sometimes you just can't make it…on your own" Shock finished and just kind of hung her head, looking at the ground annoyed. She felt so pathetic, getting these stupid songs stuck in her head and fussing over Lock. It was all so…

_Red._ Red! Something red had just flicked in the corner of her eye. She turned around to see Lock sitting on the ledge of his open widow. _Again…again, again, again! Why am I so **stupid** godammit?_ Shock cursed to herself silently. She turned away from Lock who had been staring at her the entire time she suspected.

As Lock looked on from his perch, his eyes glazed over at the expression she gave him what she looked his way. She looked like she was yelling at herself for letting him catch her again. For the second time that day, that is.

Lock curled his strong tail around the other side of the windowsill and lowered himself closer to the ground slowly, until he was only 7 feet above the ground. As he jumped down, he landed with a soft **thud **onto the dirt below. He quietly walked up to where the swing hung, and leaned against the oak slowly. Shock acknowledged him with a small glance, but nothing more.

"Shock how long are you going to keep on doing that?" Lock blurted out, not really meaning to.

"Do what exactly?" Shock asked back, not even bothering to send him a glance this time.

_Might as well finish what you stared buddy…_ "That Shock! That's exactly what I mean! I think it's pretty obvious you're mad at me for something… For Christ's sake you won't even talk to me!" He bellowed, not realizing how upset _he_ was by this.

"I am not ignoring you! And I'm not mad at you! I'm just…I just have a lot of stuff ogin on for me ok? Like I need time to think…to be alone."

"Shock."

"Yes?"

"Tell me what's wrong. I'm serous. I live in the same house as you. I have a bedroom next to yours. If this is about the whole seeing you in your slip thing, I understand. I mean, I've done your laundry it's not like I haven't seen it before." He let out a defeated sigh.

"Lock! Shut. Up. Just shut up ok? I get it. You're just being nice. Cause that's what friends do huh? And were just the best and oldest of pals, eh?" She snorted, as if she found it disgustingly amusing. Sickening in a way.

"Uh…"

"See? That's what I mean. No response huh? Tell em this _Lock_; did you ever stop to think that maybe it's not like that? Ever think I wasn't just your best friend? Ever stop and wonder that maybe one of us wanted more than just being the kid you live with?" She looked at him with a mixture of pain, sorrow and anger. Like all she wanted to do was go and cry in her room alone, but at the same time all she wanted to do was tell him off then and there. "Ever think about that?" She muttered quietly.

"Everyday." Lock whispered, staring back at her with a cool, collected manner. He stepped towards her a few paces, and offered one of his hands to her. Shock couldn't help but note his closeness. He was less than a foot away.

As she slipped her hand into his, he pulled her up off the swing. He cracked a tiny smile, noting how much smaller her hands were than his. Although it was barely larger than his palm, he knew if he got her angry, it would feel a lot heavier. How many times he'd been punched by her, he lost count within the first moth of living with her. But now was not the time for childish games.

As the two looked at each other, they locked eyes once more. Blue and purple, entangled in each other so they couldn't be drawn away. Almost intoxicating in a way. Lock's tail curled around the back of his legs, and suck onto the back of Shock's knees, forcing her closer to him. He didn't think she minded though.

Their bodies were now mere inches away from each other. Shock noted the difference in height now. Lock had at least a good six inches on her, but it didn't seem to matter anymore. Lock must have been thinking the same thing as he smiled a kind of lopsided smirk that made Shock's stomach do cartwheels. She didn't feel like the same person. She didn't feel like the same old Shock who was always tough, and always put up a strong face for the public. She felt…different, like she could finally be honest with someone.

The gap between the two finally closed, as Lock leaned downwards the slightest bit, drawing Shock into a kiss that seemed too good to be true. It was light, and it was soft. Perfect, I think the word is. She gladly returned the small gift, and wrapped her arms around Lock's neck. She felt his hand leave her side where it had been resting, and join the other at her lower back, massaging it just the slightest bit. As she tangled her fingers into Lock's flaming red hair, she felt his tongue run along her lower lip, as if it were a request for special entrance. Parting her lips, Shock felt his tongue slip into her mouth, making a wave of pleasure run down her back. Slowly, the kiss got gentler, and the two drew away, in desperate need of air. As they did, the two opened their eyes once again, to find their counterpart smiling just as much as the other.

In the end, Lock flopped down onto the swing, Shock sitting on top, and for the rest of the night they just giggled and talked, like most age old couples do.


	2. Running Out

Note: I just posted this as a new story, but then changed my mind and thought it was stupid. So now, this is going to be my 2nd chapter in It Was Just One Look…see below:D

A/N: You people wanted the one shot "It Was Just One Look" continued, so I'm continuing it! Sorry for the very long delay. I was really intent on making this into a series, but I couldn't really figure out what I could make it about, and some recent "incidents" have given me this, as you may call it, "inspiration". But I had actually been within arms reach of finishing this chapter…it was like eight pages, and then it got deleted! All of it! Meh! This happened with my Rocket Power fic too, but that chapter was easy to re-write. Ok anyway, on with the show! Oh yeah, and I don't own The Nightmare Before Christmas, it's Tim Burton's…but one day…it shall be mine! Yeah, not.

PS- I can't wait for the Corpse Bride!

PPS- **Thanks so much to all the reviewers! I'm afraid I don't have the room to respond to all of you, but everyone's commetns were so nice…how could I not continue this?**

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_Didn't even take the time to realize_

_Starin' at the cracks in the wall_

_Cause I'm waiting for it all_

_To come to an end_

_Still I curl up under the bed_

Cause it's taking over my head

_All over again_

_**-Superstar, Pink**_

Morning's, were not a good time for Shock.

"Nice clothes pinky!" Shock's best friend Izzy teased as she sighted her purple haired companion at her locker. Her comment was obviously gesturing towards her new attire, including a long sleeved pink shirt with writing printed all across it, and her baggy cargo pants, worn with her signature combat boots.

"Shut up." She snapped. "Barrel ruined my dress over break, right before he left on his school trip, and I didn't have any others left." Shock growled as she lowered her messenger bag, taped and patched in various places onto the stone floors of Halloween Town High. She began to unload her bag as Izzy's loud laughter rang into her ears.

"Yeah? And what's this I hear about…dare I say it?" She paused for dramatic effect. "Lock? The luuuuuurve of your life?"

"Quiet!" Shock protested, though she couldn't help but smile.

"Oh, so it's true then? You two _finally_ hooked up?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shock asked, running a hand through her long violet locks.

"You've only liked him forever! Jeeze, when did you finally get the brains to figure out he was head over heels for you too? Wait, wait, lemme guess- you stole them from the biology labs!"

"Isabelle, do you ever stop?" Shock inquired, as she slammed her dark grey locker shut, books in her arms.

"Don't call me by my full name!" Izzy hissed through gritted teeth. "Somebody might _hear!_"

Shock laughed again. "Like who, Barrel?" The younger girl panicked immediately at the sound of Shock's best friend's name and pushed a bony hand to her mouth.

"Not in public! That's even worse than you saying my full name!" Despite the fact that she was a year younger, she had been moved up a grade, and Izzy was Shock's best mate in the school. Beside Lock and Barrel of course. Shock had known of Izzy's secret crush ever since Izzy had know of hers, and needless to say that would be classified as a very, very long time. "But back to your love life. What did Barrel do when he found out?"

"You always sneak him into the conversation don't you?" Shock giggled, as the two expertly weaved through the throng of teens that dotted he halls. "Well, it's a long story. Actually, no it isn't. But it's pretty funny." She took a deep breath in. She began to tell her story, which was stopped occasionally as teachers hissed at her to stop talking in class. But who really cares if their Algebra II teacher like them or not?

Flashback

Shock leaned onto the creaky old swing. Ah what a swing. This very same plank of wood was responsible for her blooming relationship with Lock. If it were actually a living thing (or undead for that matter), she would have been forever in debt to it. Thankfully it was not, and Shock had no one to praise but her own arrogance, stupidity, and obliviousness for her new boyfriend.

She chuckled to herself as she reflected upon the past week of third semester vacation. Normally this would be referred to as "Spring Break", but alas, there were no seasons in Halloween Town. Just the ever present fall winds, colourful leaves, and grey October days. But back to the break part.

Barrel had left the two exactly one week ago, on Saturday, promptly after ruining Shock's last purple dress she owned. Then, after catching Lock spying on her, with next to nothing on, they had a fight and both left thoroughly confused. Mere hours later they had the end result of sitting on the very same swing as Shock sat upon now, as they laughed, talked, and shared the occasional kiss.

The rest of the days of vacation had been equally satisfying as well. The two had lounged around, made out, watched movies at home, went to the movies, made out some more, had a food fight, took a few walks in the graveyard, talked, made out, and basically did everything you average, every day couple did. Of course, they lived together, so that made things a whole lot easier, not to mention they had know each other since the mere age to six (well, seven for Lock). Now that they were both 17 and in their senior year of school, that could be counted as, in Lock's words, "a fucking long time".

So there she was, gliding effortlessly through the air on that rusty, old swing. She glanced upon the view she had from her own backyard. Living in the outskirts of town had its advantages now and then. Sure, it took twice as long for pizza to be delivered, but the view was great. It looked out on the tumbling hills below, and the city graveyard too. She slid back and forth through the rippling wind when a loud bang sounded form behind. Shock jerked the rusty chains she had been gripping and the swing went backwards as she did so. She almost fell off backwards, yet recovered rather clumsily and dragged the heels of her combat boots against the rough dirt patch below. She turned around to see Lock laughing behind one of his thin hands. No doubt he had seen that rather graceful maneuver.

"What'd you have to do that for?" Shock asked, giving him a look while her hands rested firmly on her hips. He just continued laughing. "Lock you bastard!"

"Well that's a nice way to say good morning to your _boyfriend_." He huffed, crossing his arms and going into a fake pout from where he was leaning out of the kitchen window. It was the same one with the patched up missing window panes that always let in cold air at night.

"Yeah and laughing is a lot better!"

"Hey, laughing doesn't damage children's ears!" Lock argued, though his thin blue lips were twisted into a smirk.

"We don't live near any children!" Shock reminded him, walking up to where she stood below the window.

"Oh well, I was scaring you to let you know that I am making breakfast so please, with all do respect, _hurry your ass up!_"

"Hey!"

"What?"

"Now look who's cursing, hypocrite." Shock sneered. "And swearing about my ass too!"

"Ok," Lock said, as if to explain. "It's a nice ass!"

"Oh, and I suppose you would know?"

"You forget…I saw you in your slip!" Lock teased Shock, glad he wasn't within in arms length, as she would probably be strangling him by now.

"That's right…I still have to get you back at you…watch your back, bastard!" She yelled up at him, before promptly speeding around to the front of the tree house, and catching the cage elevator to run into the home quietly. She waltzed airily into the kitchen, careful not to trip on the loose tiles near the kitchen island. Lock hadn't noticed her yet, so she walked past him, and was careful to tread on his tail, which had been lying lazily, the tip resting on the ground.

As soon as she did, he shrieked, "HOLY SHIT!" And quickly curled his tail up to his hands and started to massage it gingerly. "Shock! Revenge is _one_ thing, this is just downright _abuse!_"

"That's what you get for spying, perv." But then felt bad afterwards, seeing the pain she had put her boyfriend in. She knew how sensitive his tail was, after Barrel had dropped all items from vases to hubcaps on it. She quickly snapped her fingers and his pain stopped.

"How'd you do that?" Lock asked, as his tail resumed it position, hovering an inch or two, carefully above the ground.

"I am a witch." Shock snorted, as if she had never met a stupider person (Barrel wasn't there at the time, so he didn't count). "So whatcha making?"

"Eggs, toast. How do you want your eggs?"

"Half rotten please!" Shock grinned innocently while Lock just laughed and kissed her quickly on the lips. "What that's it?" She sniffed, pretending as if she were about to cry.

Lock chuckled heartily. "Yeah, _right_ Shock. You crying? The day you do is the day Barrel gets nominated for the Nobel Prize award for a cure for mortal cancer." Shock promptly began to sob in a very fake manner. Soon her sobs turned to laughter and the two were holding their sides in stitches. "But if it really makes you happy…" He added, leaning over and pressing his mouth to hers. It only lasted a moment though, and Lock broke away and opened the fridge, looking for eggs. He pulled out the carton as quickly as possible and juggled it from hand to hand as he pressed his back against the door to shut off the cold flow of air. "Dammit, I really should start wearing shirts to bed!" He jabbered, referring to his attire, or lack thereof. His hunter green and navy, flannel plaid pants, and grey boxers were the only things on him (his pants were too big, falling halfway down his ass). Shock decided to give him a bit of his own perverted humor.

"I don't know, I think it suits you." She lilted, giggling as he shot her a death glare and cracked the eggs onto the hot skillet expertly.

"Well your welcome to enjoy the view," Lock drawled, leaning lazily against the counter and grinning so that his fangs glimmered dangerously. He wiggled his eyebrows and soon grew impatient waiting for Shock to come to him. "Fuck this!" He muttered, pulling his purple haired friend right up in front of where he stood and kissing her aggressively. By the time the eggs were done (and thoroughly cooked and neglected on the stove) Lock was sporting an extremely bad hairdo from where Shock had been raking her fingers through it, and the fiery red tresses wer almost standing on end. Not to add, Shock was pulling at the bottom of her tee shirt awkwardly (Lock tried to get lucky) and tossed her lengthy, shiny hair over the spot where she would most definitely be sporting a hicky within the hour.

Lock had just lifted his fork when he noticed Shock had not budged. "Shock? What are you doing? C'mon, sit." He insisted, pushing out the rickety chair across from him, with one of his long legs under the table. Most of their furniture had been made by themselves, crudely carved and sanded, while they were nailed together with the cheapest and probably the rustiest nails ever to exists, while additionally being bonded at the corners with rough rope. She just shook her head though, while Lock cocked an eyebrow. "What's the matter with you?"

"Lock," Shock started, staring at the floor as if it had just sprouted a few heads and had bit her good morning. "Are we weird?"

Lock stopped halfway through a bite of his eggs so that a fork dangled from his mouth, which was giving her an 'are you kidding me?' look. Shock was just about as famous for her mood swings, as Jack was for being the Pumpkin King, but this was _strange. _Lock snorted and affirmed, "No, Shock, were not weird…well ok, so we may have our moments, but Barrel is a lot worse, I mean the kid has eaten just about-,"

"No," She interjected. "I mean, are we a weird _couple_?" Lock could have sworn she followed that up with a small 'duh' under her breath, yet once again, couldn't help but laugh.

"Shock where are you getting this from?"

"I don't know…it's just that most couples are taking their time to hold hands and be all romantic and sweet, where as we fight and make out."

"We don't _really_ fight…we play fight. It's all harmless flirting Shock!" Lock ranted, trying not to get her mad, or worse…upset. Only the lord knew how bad it had been the last time they had a proper fight…right before they had gotten together.

"Yeah, but still…I feel like maybe…were rushing into things or something. Or maybe I'm missing something? Oh, I give up. I don't know! And frankly I haven't gotten the slightest clue," She professed in a rather peeved tone, still staying put and crossing her arms as she leaned against the kitchen island, right in front of where the stove was.

"Well, if it's more romance you want…" Lock proposed, rising from his chair and walking to his girlfriend. He took one of her pale hands, grasping the dark violet painted nails lightly as he kissed her hand and smiled in his most charming way. He then pulled a fiery red and orange flower from behind his back and gave it to her.

'How'd you do that?" Shock asked, knowing there had to be a catch.

"Your not the only one who can do magic!" He boasted, then warning her strangely. "Just watch out…it's going to combust in about 3…2…1…" The flower promptly went up in flames and Shock rolled her eyes, laughing lightly though. Trust Lock to _try _to be romantic with fire…and fail miserably. "Honestly, do we have to do this? You know I like you…can we just get to the good part?"

Yet the devil boy decided not to wait for a response, as he once more went in for the kill. His tongue found it's way into her mouth and the two played around, their hands roaming all over each other. Lock took one of his bony hands and creeped it a few inches under Shock's shirt, trailing on of his "claws" across her flat abdomen and grinned into her mouth as a shiver went down her spine. He moved his hand farther up her shirt as the two continued to make out, never hearing the clinking of the cage elevator. Of course, when they hear the loud cry of "What the…holy…god, Jesus!" from the doorway, the two sprang apart, only to be greeted by a very wide-eyed, pale faced, Barrel. Shock didn't think she had ever turned so many shades of red within a six second span in her life before, and while Lock was a bit pink in the cheeks as well (though maybe it was just because of his little…workout before) but he was grinning mischievously from ear to ear, a glimmer of pride in his icy blue eyes.

"It's called making out Barrel…you should try it sometime…just not with her," He laughed, jerking his head towards Shock who was now hiding in her seat at the table, scarfing down her eggs. Barrel said nothing for a while and just busied himself with food, his mouth still agape and his eyes the size of Jack's head.

"So I see you two got…" he cleared his throat with one of his pudgy hands. "Together…took you long enough, god knows…"

"Hey!" The two yelled in unison, then laughing promptly afterwards. And though Barrel was probably scarred for life, all gloomy thoughts wer banished fro the short remained of break…that is until, they arrived at school.

End flashback…blah blah blah

Shock and Izzy giggled being their copies of "Edgar Allen Poe's Greatest Poems and Short Stories" in English class. "We completely forgot about him coming back from his trip, you should have seen his face! If I hadn't been so mortified then, I would have been cracking up on the floor!" Shock whispered, wiping a tear from her eye before it fell and messed up her eyeliner.

"I wish I was there!" Izzy chuckled back. "Dude, are you bored, or is it just me?"

"No kidding. I've read this dumbass poem about a gazillion times, and honestly, I don't think I care about the 'symbolism' one bit!"

"I know, right?"

"Excuse me? Miss Skulle? Is there something you and your friend would like to share with the class?" Asked their shrewd teacher, Ms. Handoff, as she peeped over her desk through her glasses.

"Oh, me and Shock-,"Izzy started, peeved at the use of her last name so loosely.

"Shock and _I_, Miss Skulle." The loony old bat corrected.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. So Shock and me were wondering where the symbolism in "The Raven" is ever going to get us in life. I mean, it's not like someone is going to walk up to us in Death Square when were shopping and ask us what line 2C in "The Raven" represents, right?" Izzy quizzed the elderly teacher, looking quite amused as the classmates sniggered and laughed at the clever comment.

Ms. Handoff though, just looked through her big spectacles with her wide old owl eyes, and predicted, "Where it will end you two up, is in after school detention, this Friday." Izzy could feel Shock staring daggers at her, but just looked away and tried not to laugh at this lady's expression as she resumed the lesson. But before Shock could get to verbally abusing her friend behind her copy of "The Raven" printed in her book, a girl behind Izzy leaned forward and whispered something in her ear. It was one of the advanced juniors, a vampire named Sarah, Shock remembered.

"Hey, Shock!" Izzy hissed, making sure not to get caught this time. "You know Ava Vanity?" Shock nodded, I mean, who didn't know of that famous slut? She's Jack Skellington's niece, and lived with Jack and Sally, along with their three kids for years, ever since her mom and dad died (she was happy when they did. She inherited all that money, if that gives you an idea of what kind of person she is). Obviously she's rich, and popular too because she's overly skinny, pretty (she's half skeleton and half vela), wears tons of makeup, slutty clothes, and has pretty much hooked up with every guy in the school. She's short, pale and has this perfectly straight, platinum blonde hair and these huge, ocean blue eyes that are the size of dinner plates. She's at the top of the Food Chain in the high school, and has a nasty reputation for being the bitchiest, nastiest, double crossing two timer ever, especially when it comes to guys. She was once heard saying, "Guys are like dresses, you pick one, and then you see another, and you wish you'd bought that. And then you see it on someone else so you _have_ to have it!" Shock never crossed her path if she could help it.

"Yeah, well that Sarah girl told me to tell you she saw her flirting with Lock like, obsessively on the way to first period today. They were walking together and she says she was like, hanging onto his every word."

"No way! She wouldn't!"

"Have you forgotten? This is _Ava Vanity_ were talking about! Of _course_ she would!" Izzy rolled her eyes and sighed, as the bell rung. "I swear, sometimes you can be so naive. She's like the worlds biggest whore!" This didn't exactly make our favorite violet haired witch feel any better.

"Yeah but-," Shock stammered, grabbing up her things and stuffing it into her messenger bag she carried from class to class.

"But?"

"Lock would…he would never…I mean we've only been together a little over a week…" Shock mumbled in a dejected and confused manner, only snapping out of it when Paul Martin hit her with his backpack, in which case, she cursed him off. Izzy gave her a look of sympathy, and that Sarah girl threw her a quick 'sorry' and a look just like her best friend had.

"Well maybe it's…just a rumor. Or—hey! Maybe it was all Ava! I mean, she can stick to guys like glue and…"

"Yeah, whatever." Shock snorted stiffly, pushing past Izzy and into the hallway, into which she vanished quickly and expertly, taking the long routes to classes as to avoid Lock, something she'd mastered over the years (yet didn't think she'd need to use now).

She had thought that now she was going out with Lock, things would be different, better even. She thought that she wouldn't have to worry about being picked on or jeered at in the halls, which was partially true now. Yet, somehow, now it was even worse. She was avoiding her boyfriend when she didn't even really have to, a week into the relationship, and there was already someone else after Lock.

And Shock didn't like it. Not one bit.


	3. Running Out Pt2

Running Out, Pt. 2

_Just when I thought that I was better,_

_I realized that I don't know what better was._

_Is it, better than I used to be?_

_Better for you or for me?_

_Better hurry cause I think,_

_I better find this._

_I don't know what it is,_

_Or what I might be coming down with._

_Don't know where I've been,_

_Don't know where to go,_

_Can't remember al the things I need to know,_

_All I know is that is that,_

_If i think about it,_

_I'd still rather be me than me be you._

_**Better, Hoobastank**_

Shock dipped her hand into the chalk and rubbed it against her other. A small white cloud formed around her two tangled fists, as she walked across the padded blue floor. A voice came from the other side of the small gym as Izzy called, "Music?"

"Yeah! You got…hm, Incubus?"

"Isn't that a little depressing?"

"Yeah, maybe. Just put it on repeat."

"Kay." Izzy popped in a blank disc, being a burned one straight from Shock's room, and set it to the song she knew Shock wanted to hear. It was her favorite on the CD and she always listened to it before any of the others. The skinny, pale girl ran over, tying back her shoulder length brown hair as she did. She too covered her hands in chalk and looked over to her best friend. "You wanna go first?"

"Nah, go ahead, I'm going to be over at the beam." Shock told her, running the ten feet over to the brown padded plank, sitting atop two metal supports. Almost every afternoon, Shock and Izzy came here, to Izzy's house so they could practice. Gymnastics were just one in the long list of activities Shock and Izzy did.

It was strange, as most expected Shock to be the "emo girl" who hung out with a big group of guys and played guitar in a garage band, hoping to make it big one day. In reality, Shock would probably be more suited to be a Jock or JV girl. In addition to gymnastics, she did tae kwon do, dance, soccer, and yes, she did skate. And even if she did play guitar, it wasn't for a band. She had saved up her money for a year, before Izzy had finally gotten her the red electric acoustic she had wanted, and had been struggling to find the money to afford. In addition to those, she was also on the school Newspaper staff, in art studio class, and in Advanced Jazz and Rock Band. Izzy, with her busy lifestyle (her parents threw a lot of parties at their mansion, high-society was a hard thing) could not do as many things, but stuck beside Shock with the physical stuff.

Shock didn't understand sometimes, why Izzy didn't just trade in her for a more popular crowd. Both heaven and hell knew they'd accept her, with her million-dollar mansion and high-end status. But for some reason, she stayed with Shock, and despite the numerous explanations, she still didn't get it.

Shock hopped up onto the balance beam with ease and grace, holding out a pointed toe in front of her, before throwing herself off her feet, and doing a series of handsprings, stopping just after the edge of the beam. As she cart wheeled, flipped and spun across it, she sang along to the music playing, under her breath. Singing was probably her bad habit…she always did it. _"Whatever tomorrow brings I'll be there…with open arms and open eyes…yeah. Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there…I'll be there…"_

Suddenly, Shock felt her foot slip out from under her as she landed shakily on her Arial (a cartwheel with hands) and fell to the floor, her head hitting the beam as she went down. She laid there for a moment, panting as her eyes stayed close, feeling the rippling vibration along with the sound of a muffled _thud_, knowing it was Izzy who had just let go of the uneven parallel bars she had been practicing on.

Her dark purple leotard felt restricting against the rising and falling of her chest, and there were more sounds of feet running as Shock soon felt a towering presence over her. She opened her eyes and saw, who else, but her best friend looming above, a hand outstretched.

"You ok? What did you beef on?" Izzy asked, as Shock took her hand and pulled herself up, exhaling roughly as she did so.

"Arial." She replied simply, as she dragged her feet over to the room off to the side of the expansive gymnasium, fishing out an ice pack from the fridge and sitting on one of the massage tables in the grey-blue room. She pressed the cold compress to her head and sighed lightly as she closed her eyes again.

"Is it throbbing?" Shock nodded. "Do you think you've gotten another concussion?" Shock shook her head. "Hm…maybe what you need is a good massage! Here, I can call Nina down now if you'd like! We can both get one, just like-,"

"Izzy, chill, I'm fine. And we only do massages on special occasions remember? If I had one every time I hit my head, I would have set a world record by now." Izzy laughed and Shock just fell backwards onto the soft material, moaning slightly. "Stupid Lock…stupid, so…fucking…stupid…"

"Thinking about him, were you? So _that's_ why you bailed. Figures, I mean, you've had the Arial down for a while…sure, you can mess up once and a while but you never really-,"

"Izzy!"

"yes?"

"Shut. Up." Shock laughed hoarsely as she got up, throwing the bag back into the freezer. "I'm going to head home, ok? Don't kill yourself worrying about me." She smirked, as Izzy rolled her eyes.

"Alright _honey,_ I won't." The two girls giggled as Shock picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Oh, no, don't _skate_ home! You could fall again! I'll get Bryant to drive you!"

"Izzy! Seriously, I am _fine_. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, sister. Call me tonight to check over Algebra II homework, got it?"

"What else would I expect? Later!" Shock called over her shoulder as she ran down the hallway and out of sight, eager to clear her head of the one thing that always seemed to be there these days: Lock.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"BARREL!" Lock bellowed at the top of his lungs. For the past half-hour the older boy had been trying to get the other's attention. Needless to say, it wasn't working.

Barrel's eyes were glazed over as he jerked the controller in his hands. His _Death Station VIII_ was the only thing he seemed to care about, besides the boss he was battling in _Skeletora, Race to the Graveyard 2._ Suddenly the screen went black as the TV made a _bloooop_, noise. Barrel sat, horrified, as Lock appeared from behind the television, a cord in hand and a smirk on his face.

Barrel then proceeded to go "Don Vito" on Lock. "Whatdchadothatfor? I wasplayin agame! AGAME! BossandialmostdefeatedhimyouFUCKINGASSHOLE!" Lock tried to keep a straight face as he had colourful vocabulary thrown at him from all sides. There were some words that Barrel was calling him that he had never heard before, but nonetheless, he was calling him them.

"Are you done?" Lock asked as he dropped the TV plug to the floor carelessly. It _thunk-ed _as it hit the ground and a small cloud of dust rose. Neither noticed as they were busy staring each other down. Barrel finally grunted and turned away. "If you had answered me before this wouldn't have _happened._" Lock kept looking at Barrel while he just ignored him more. "Now, Barrel, have you seen Shock?"

If possible, Barrel's mouth fell open even wider than it had previously from suprise. "What?" He hissed, his eyes squinting. "You unplugged my game, to know where _Shock_ is?" Lock nodded as if Barrel was still 5 years old. "You dip-,"

"Hey guys!" A tired voice came as the door of the tree house swung open. It was Shock, and as she gratefully dropped her bag, she walked over to the two. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Where were you?"

"Uh…" Shock laughed nervously at Lock's question. "Um, gymnastics with Izzy? You know, we do it every afternoon? For the competitions we have…"

"Your shitting me."

"Not really…" Shock was frowning now. He was so worried about her when he _knew_ she was at Izzy's, but he didn't care one single bit at school when she was avoiding him?

"Godammit!" Lock yelled.

"Idiot." Barrel shot at him as he got up to go plug the TV back in. Lock and Shock just starred at each other, Lock feeling really stupid, and Shock feeling really agitated. The two went to the kitchen to talk.

As they entered, Shock retrieved a bag of ice from the freezer again. Her head still hurt and it was getting to her. "Fell again?" Lock questioned her. She nodded, so did he. A minute of silence passed and things just got more awkward.

"So…" Lock started, sensing something other than injury was wrong with his girlfriend. "Uh…how was practice?"

"Same a usual."

"Anything new?"

"Not really."

"Um…what did you think of the uncivilization test? I mean Mr. Donald can be pretty harsh and-,"

"Do you have to be so fake?" Shock snapped, removing the ice pack from her head for a second.

"What?" Lock said, though it wasn't that hard to comprehend what she had just said.

"Can't you just talk to me?"

"How can I, when your being so…pissy?"

"Pissy, huh?"

"Yes! Pissy!"

"Well excuse me for being mad."

"About what?"

"You can talk to Ava Vanity, but not your girlfriend, eh! Or did I miss something and she _is_ your girlfriend?" Shock fumed, her eyes stinging, though she blinked it back.

"What?"

"Everyone saw you today with _Ms. Vanity_, Lock! Do you know how embarrassing it is to come back from break the first day, and have your boyfriend of _one week_, flirting with the biggest _bitch_ in school?" Shock paused as Lock said nothing. "Yeah, didn't think so." Shock turned to walk away, but Lock caught her arm.

"Shock-come on. You know I wouldn't."

"But everyone said you wer-,"

"When have you ever believe what everyone said?" Shock looked down at her feet, as a slight tinge of red, rose up to her face. She couldn't bring herself to say anything. "Shock, _please,"_ He begged, looking at her as she finally stared back. His eyes were too piercing for her though, as she broke the gaze, though she knew his icy-blue ones were still looking at her. He had looked sincere…but was he just faking? She had heard from reliable sources…

"I know it probably looked like flirting Shock, but I wouldn't do that to you, really. I mean, _shit_, I've liked you for ages! You think I'm going to go blow that on some bimbo chick?"

"What? But I thought you two were friends at least…"

"Were in the same group of friends…but I really don't like her. She's fake Shock. The only reason she was flirting with me is cause that's what she does…it doesn't mean _I_ like her."

Shock looked away again. Why was this so hard? Could it be cause she was stuck on who to believe? "Well…I don't know Lock…"

"Shock, _come on_. Please believe me! What exactly do I have to do to convince you I still like you?" Then a bulb went off in his head. Still with her arm in his grasp, he pulled her closer to him. This was all too familiar. He smiled down at her, charming and charismatic. Shock blushed and tried to stare at something other than him, but as she tried to fixate herself on something else, she felt Lock's lips pressing against hers'.

It was a nice kiss… PG for once. It wasn't very long, not even a minute, but it was just…_nice._ Shock felt stupid to fall for these kinds of things. Innocence was a thing in their past (if they had ever been innocent in the first place) yet it felt strangely close right now. There was hardly any tongue, but it felt good not to be so aggressive for once. They pulled away and Lock looked Shock right in her eyes, not letting her glance at anything but him either. "Shock…please? Please believe me?" He asked in a voice, hardly as loud as a whisper.

Her insides gave a great twist as he said this. He was so sincere…so needy at the time, she had no choice but to let herself give in. "Alright…I believe you." As they got a little farther apart (they had been no more than 3 inches away before) she added, "But don't think I won't be on the prowl for scoundrels like you!" They laughed together as Lock slung his arm around her, walking out of the kitchen.

"So how did you _really_ think that test was anyways…cause I think I should know if I'm the only one who failed…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Short chappie. So fluffy I'm disgusted with myself. Ick, I can't write anything but romance, can I? GAH…this is going to annoy me. Hoping this gets better soon…mind you this isn't going to be one of those 30 chapter stories. It goes over about 2 months of school so…it won't be that long. Probably like, 12 chapters or something…maybe an epilogue, I dunno. Anyways, don't be thinking I own anything! And **snaps to all the awesome reviewers**! Cookies for them…

Review it out bitches.


	4. Crash Landing

**Just One Look**

Well I was sitting waiting wishing

You believed in superstitions

Then maybe you'd see the signs

**Jack Johnson, Sitting, Waiting, Wishing**

Lock was trying his best to pay attention to Mrs. Gene, but somehow it wasn't working. He knew that Experience of Halloween ( his elective) wasn't a very important class but he still didn't fancy failing anything senior year. Right now they were getting a lecture on why the Graveyards of London would be the best to use if you were going to travel into England from Halloween Town. But all that ran through Lock's mind was…well I'm sure you know what, or more specifically who.

Lock, Shock, and Barrel were all in this class together, but for some odd reason Shock was not there in the second period class. He knew she had stayed behind this morning because she had a free first period and she needed to finish a project but where the hell was she?

"Dude, chill, I'm sure she just like got help up with the Boo-Glue. Get's all over the place, you know…" Barrel whispered, as if he could read Lock's mind.

"Whatever." He shot, his brow furling. He clawed at his hair as he always did when he was nervous and soon his fiery red tresses were falling into his face all over. He knew Barrel had a point (yeah for once) and he did have a tendency to worry about Shock (like the Gym incident three weeks before) but where _was_ she? She could have been hurt or attacked or kidnapped or-

"Excooth me Missus Gene?" A tiny freshman was sticking her overly large head into the room, round glasses taking up most of her circular face. She kinda looked like Barrel when he was little.

The teacher acknowledged her. "I wusth sthent here to get Lock and Barrel…the printhepal told me to gather them…" Her lisp was incredibly annoying but Lock and Barrel's heads shot up into attention anyway.

"Very well you two are excused…" The two all but flew out of the room, barely hanging onto their books. Maybe for once Lock had been right. As they rushed past the secretary and into the princepal's office he addressed them, "Sit down boys." They obeyed his solemn look and grew more worried. "I'm afraid I have some rather grim news…"

"Is it Shock?"

"What happened"

"Quiet!"

"Yessir…"

"It does have something to do with Shock yes, but nothing particularly fatal has happened. I'm going to need you two to come with me and Mr. Skellington down to your…er…tree-house _home_…"

So they went. It was the longest five minute drive of Lock's life (both of them). The trees seemed more intimidating with their branches looking more and more bare. The leaves swept around the carriage and as the tree house came into faint view there was something very foreboding about all those cars around it. There was something different about it…somehow it looked like the shape had changed…

"Oh shit…" Lock muttered to himself as they stopped in front. Where the kitchen used to be there was a gigantic, harshly cut hold in the floor, and there was a large scatter of boards and planks of wood on the ground below it. Their kitchen island was broken and in pieces as well as it sat among the twigs and leaves in the dirt.

The car door swung open and the four stepped out. "What the hell…"

"The floor caved in while Shock was in the kitchen…did you know the condition of your home? It seems that the wood it was made of has been rotting away for years now. Your lucky that it hadn't happened earlier…"

Lock blinked. Barrel stared at Lock. Barrel slowly pivoted and faced his principal again. "So you mean, the floor fell out from under Shock?" He nodded. "And…"

"Where. Is. She." Lock growled irately. If she was hurt….he didn't know exactly what he would do. But he knew it would not be pretty. The principal said nothing. Jack just took both the boys shoulders and started leading them to an ambulance. Lock was almost afraid to look inside. He did anyway.

In side, sitting on a bench and having her wrist and hand taped, was Shock. Looking a tad bit disheveled but fine all the same. She was smiling and talking to the man wrapping her hand. She looked up as Barrel walked over and bent down to give her a quick hug. "You alright?" He asked her.

She laughed. "Yeah Barrel I'm fine. Just a few small injuries…" He tilted his head to the side expectantly. "Well when the floor caved in and I was falling I tried to grab onto anything I could…so I ended up grabbing where the floor had broken off…so that got me a few splinters…" Barrel _oooh_-ed and nodded. He leaned in and whispered something in her ear. She giggled and asked, "Where is he?" He stepped to the side to reveal Lock peering around the side of the vehicle.

Pushing his red hair back from his face he stepped into the ambulance and walked up to her. By this time her wrists and hands were finished with their taping, so she stood, though he still towered over her. All of a sudden, Lock grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug. She stiffened at first but then relaxed, falling into him and wrapping her arms around him too. She chuckled a little, Barrel had left moments before. "What's with all this…?" She murmured into his chest.

"You worry me too much."

She laughed again. "Maybe you just worry too much."

"Maybe."

XXX

There room's had been cleared out. None of them had much of anything so it only took a few hours, though they still understand what was going to happen next.

Jack had told them that their home was commanding new construction, and that the town would pay for this, but where would they stay in the meantime? The nearest hotel was in South Halloween Town and that was an entirely different district…

The tall skeleton man sat down in front of the three where they were chatting over what they thought they had missed that day in school. They halted once he had come over though, watching him expectantly. "So I'm guess your three want to know what's going on exactly. Well with your residential status…"They nodded, silent for once, which was a comforting and new thing for the Pumpkin King. "Well, the mayor and myself have been debating and we've decided that you three will have to stay with me for the next two months of school, at which time you'll be able to return home… My mansion is plenty big enough, and as long as your fine with living with Sally, along with my three kids and my niece… Actually I believe that my niece is your age….you know Ava?"

"Oh do we ever…"Shock said bitterly before she could stop herself.

"Yes…she really is a pain in the ass isn't she…" Jack said, holding his chin and shaking his head a little. He looked up again. "Anyway, I hope this is okay with you…"

"Yeah!"

"Oh yeah!"

"It's nice, thank you…"Shock smiled trying to cover up for her comrades rudeness. She knew they were excited to live in the biggest, fanciest mansion in all of Halloween town and its five districts (central,east,west,north,south), and so was she, but they could at least be grateful…

"Alright, we'll have your rooms by tonight…Come around the mansion about 6 and we'll get you settled in by dinner. You've got a few hours so you might want to get your things from school or maybe go visit a friend…you can stay here but we'll be pretty busy…" With that he bid them goodbye for then and walked away, immediately swarmed by movers and workers.

Shock was the first to rise. "I'm going to visit Iz, kay?"

"But…"

"She'll be as worried as you were Lock, this is probably all over the school already…" She sighed. "Anything that's secret is public knowledge by first period lunch, you know that. Izzy's my best friend and I'm going to see her now, okay? I'll see you tonight…" She kissed his cheek and walked off, her boots gathering dust as she disappeared down the road.

XXX  
A/N: I know it's not much and there wasn't any full or anything but….well things have been cramped. I've been banned from the computer for 3 months so I've only have access to one at my cousins…and that wasn't for very long…

I'm actually putting my other story on temporary hold until this is done. I'm seeing 10 chapters probably…it's a short fic, and that's if we get lucky… On request I could end with a lemon (how cliché) but that's only on request… You guys will be getting more updates soon…but exams are after break so we'll see what we can do… Thanks again so much to the reviewers! I love you all!

Review it out bitches.


	5. Crash Landing Pt2

**Just One Look**

I see diamonds in the sky  
Touch my hand and I can fly  
All this is a mystery  
So come on and dance with me  
I can't believe it's 4 a.m.  
Where did the time go?  
I could sit here for days just hanging with you alone

**Burning Up, Ashlee Simpson **

XXX

They were at it again.

Her shirt was on the floor, and his oxford was too. She was almost afraid to look in the mirror, her hair must have been a mess from his hands running through it so many times, and her lips would be so swollen it wouldn't be funny. And the hickeys…well needless to say there would be no v-neck shirts for a few days.

She let out a moan. She couldn't help herself. She could almost feel him smiling into where he was sucking on her earlobe playfully biting as he kissed down her neck. She brought his mouth to hers again. Their kisses were long and more passionate than they should have been, considering this was not their bed. It had taken a while for Shock to get used to having a room next to Ava Vanity, a room that was almost as big as the tree house…

But it was times like this that made her forget about the tree house, and about Ava Vanity, and about living with Jack and Sally. She felt bad sometimes, but then he made her forget about that too. He was too good.

The problem was, he knew that too.

XXX

She immediately knew she shouldn't have done that. He had just left after waking her up—

No, they had not slept together. They hadn't gone any farther than him pulling at her pants, but it never quite went that far. That's all they ever got to before they passed out. Late night make out sessions weren't the best idea ever but they were always un-interrupted. Then again he always woke her up to tell her he was going to go sleep in his own bed, some time around 3 A.M. but this was besides the point…

The point was that they should not have done that. Despite the fact that they were a couple, and they had been a couple for two months and two weeks (but she wasn't counting) it was still wrong of her. She shouldn't have asked him to come round that night, and as she searched for her shirt and bra on the floor in the dark the guilt worsened.

Technically she could blame Lock for all of it. Or that stupid teacher of his. Or Lock, once again for being so bad in math that he wound up in a class with Ava Vanity. Or all three.

If Lock hadn't been so stupid that he wound up in Algebra II senior year, then he wouldn't have been in any classes with Ava Vanity. If he wasn't in any classes with Ava Vanity then it would have been impossible for him to get paired up with her for the end of term project, and therefore she wouldn't have to worry about seeing them in the library or walking down the hall together, Ava practically strangling him with her death grip of sluttiness. And if none of that happened she never would have asked him to come round tonight.

She wouldn't have to use him to make sure he still liked her. And then she wouldn't have to feel so guilty for not trusting Lock. It was apparent to her know he liked her as much as ever, and it was her who had the problem…

But she still loathed Ava, and she still wished for her demise or maybe disappearance. She still wanted him away from her…

But for now, she was satisfied. She felt guilty but she knew he liked her still…She didn't like fighting with Lock, so she had promised to herself not to let herself go at him again. At least she kept her promise…she didn't go into interrogations…she used a more…direct approach…

And _still_, she felt bad…But she tossed it aside again as she blindly reached for the expensive bedside table, and turned on the lamp sitting upon the mahogany surface. She squinted against the glare now cast into her eyes and turned her back to the light source, searching for her shirt and bra. She gathered them from the floor and went into her closet (they had walk-in ones!) to put on her pajamas. She changed and proceeded to collapse back in bed to fall back asleep as the darkness surrounded her once more.

XXX

The next morning was an ugly one. Shock felt guiltier than ever, curse her conscious, and she was so sick with it she ended up throwing up in the bathroom.

"You poor thing!" Sally cooed, draping the covers over her again.

"I'm fine really…"

"Nonsense, you need rest. Stay in bed, I'll be back around 10 to give you another potion and some breakfast…" Shock just nodded and watched the ceiling while Sally walked out. The door slammed and Shock listened to the sounds floating through the floor. The screaming of Jack and Sally's eight year old twins, Georgina and Greg, along with the snappy remarks of their 13 year old daughter Deven were entertaining. The high school started later than the middle and primary schools so she imagined Lock and Barrel were just getting up now. And that Ava had been up for hours primping. The whole reason she had woken so early was actually because of the hairdryer running in the next room over…Shock was quite a light sleeper.

The witch rolled over on her side and let out a short and slightly angry breath. She reached her arm out from under the duvet and took the remote from where it sat on the bedside table. She clicked on and soon music started floating in from the stereo across the room, but it was interrupted with the door being swung open violently.

As usual, there was Lock, worried as ever. She just turned away and onto her other side. He kneeled beside her bed. "You alright?"

"Peachy…" She whispered, a knot tying itself in her throat. She felt the mattress sink as he sat on the edge of it. His hand cupped her shoulder, though it was so big it rested on a good portion of her arm too. She would have shrugged it off but found she didn't have the energy.

"Hey you need anything?"

Shock gulped. "No its okay. " Her voice was quite and strained. Her throat was burning, but not from the illness. "Sally's got it all taken care of."

"Well okay…sorry I have to leave you here today…but I can't skip school…"

"I know, its okay Lock." She croaked. She bit her lip. Her eyes stung.

"Alright well…get some rest. Get better okay? I'll come back this afternoon…"

She nodded and turned her head to face him slightly. He kissed her forehead lightly and walked out, shutting the door behind him softly. She couldn't believe what a horrible person she was. How could she have not trusted him? What kind of girlfriend was she?

He deserves someone so much better than me…someone whose pretty and smart and trusts him…I'm so horrible…I'm so, so horrible…

She choked back a sob while her throat ached from guilt. Her stomach twisted up and gave a foreboding lurch. She half-groaned, half-wailed into her pillowcase. Her eyes were red now and a few tears had trickled out.

Slowly…she drifted away again, so the pain couldn't bother her as she slept.


	6. Going Under

Just One Look

i got a flask inside my pocket. we can share it on the train.

& if you promise to stay conscious i will try to do the same

we may die from medication, but we sure killed all the pain

but what was normal in the evening by the morning seems insane

-Lua, Bright Eyes

-------------------------------

Shock was in love.

It was tempting, alluring, dangerous, and completely intoxicating. Pity, her first love was to a bottle of alcohol. But the teen didn't seem to care. Shot after shot, she found the effects didn't lessen. She felt happy for the first time in a long time, she felt wild, she felt...

Horny.

She had been seeking out that boy. Red head. Her boyfriend? She couldn't remember. "SHOCK!" She almost didn't stop at her name, it was alien in her ears. But the caller had clasped her arm firmly and thrown her into a seat, as gently as possible. "Where have you been? Whats this?" The boy was tall, dressed in black, pale...not the one she was looking for. He had snatched away her cup of whatever drink it was...all she knew and cared about was that it had alcohol.

"Mmm...shutupp Burrel..." She muttered, making a play for the plastic cup to be her's again.

"Oh no you don't!" He was perfectly sober, probably one of the only people at the party that was. You simply didn't go to a Skellington Manour Party for the socialization. It was well known that the richest family in all of Halloween Town had the best alcohol as well. But Barrel had no choice, considering he lived there, he was going to be at the party with or without his consent, and he was the only one out of their trio who seemed to still be opposing the idea of throwing one.

Shock had huffed in the beginning while Lock had embraced it right away, telling Ava what a great idea it was. With the rest of the family out on a weekend vacation, they had the mansion to themselves, and teenagers with no parents at home only meant one option, throw a party with beer.

"Wher...s...Redhead...?"

"You mean Lock?" Barrel offered to his companion. She waved a hand as if to say, _whatever_, and he shrugged. "Last i checked he was looking for you but-Shock! You can't do anything stupid, your both drunk and-"

"I aiin't DRUNK!" Shock protested in slurred speech, nearly tipping over the edge of her chair. A set of strong arms caught her from behind. She looked up and grinned at the boy.

"Heeey pretty guurl..." He whispered in her ear, picking her up bridal style and not wasting a moment to disappear into the crowd with her.

Barrel cursed under his breath, and then a bit louder, kicking a floor lamp. He received a few glances, to which he spat, "What _you_ looking at?" He stomped out of the room and continued through the throngs of dancing, intoxicated teens until he found himself in the back of the manour, in the kitchen. Not surprising, it was empty. He sat down on one of the bar stools circling their kitchen island, looking into the industrial-steel-esque counter, his face reflected but distorted. He kept looking, like he was searching for something he couldn't find.

"Why didn't i stop them..." He asked himself. "This is going to...god, who knows what their doing...FUCK!" He roared, pounding his fist onto the counter top, not paying any note to the throbbing that resulted. "This is all my fucking fault! Shit! Fuck! WHY AM I SO FUCKING STUPID?" He yelled as he heared the kitchen door swing open and closed. Someone walked up behind him.

"You okay?"

He spun around, terrified. Fuck, he had made himself into an ass right when the girl he likes walks in. "Peachy..." He muttered and spun back around to face the counter in his chair.

"What happened...?"

"I let Lock and Shock go off by themselves. They were both drunk too...I...I lost them...and god knows what there doing right now..."

Izzy snorted and sat down next to him. "I think i have a pretty decent idea..."

"Yeah so do i...but if something happens its all my fault..."

"Like what?"

"I don't know...she could get knocked up..."

"But if they are doing...well, you know, _that_...its her first time..."

"You can get knocked up your first time..."

"Well...hope they use protection..."

"God, i feel like a motherfucking parent right now!"

"No kidding, i don't think i'll ever have kids, those two are enough to take care of.."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4 A.M. and the party was still at full blast. The two had remained in the kitchen, occasionally venturing out to see if either of the two had come back... They had disappeared around 11...and still no sign? Barrel sat there looking at the counter and Izzy frantically bit her cuticles. The air was tense. Where could they be?

"Maybe we should go look for them again?" Izzy suggested. Barrel nodded, they had nothing better to do than sit and worry. They sprung out of their chairs and exited the kitchen's swinging door. Music hit them full on. It had been the same kind of rap for the past seven hours. They split up, Izzy going to the left wing and Barrel to the right, they would meet back in the kitchen as soon as they were done looking.

Barrel found nothing. Izzy returned with a sobbing Shock, she had found in one of the bathrooms. She gently set her down in one of the kitchen chairs as the two surveyed her worriedly. Her hair was a giant tangle of curls and waves, her makeup ran down her face and her clothes looked like they had been thrown on haphazardly. Not a good sign.

Izzy walked up and put her arms around her friend, comforting her as she cried. Barrel did the same. "What happened?" Izzy asked quietly.

"We...we..." She sputtered, obviously sober now, though they weren't sure it was a good thing. "We went into his room and...i never...meant...we were both drunk and...didn't...know..."

Izzy shushed her and squeezed her tightly. "Just because you made a mistake doesn't make you a bad person..."

"But i never wanted my first time to be..." Izzy hushed her again, letting her friend just cry. "I don't even think he used..."

"He didn't?" Barrel choked. Shock shook her head. "I'm going to kill him..." He whispered, but Shock snapped her head up.

"No!" She pleaded. "It's not his fault...we were just both drunk and...please Barrel don't say anything about it..." He looked down at her, sadly, and nodded.

"What are we going to do about this though..." Shock asked idly, wiping a palm across her face.

"I don't know...but it'll be okay Shock...it's gonna be okay..."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: sorry its short. things start going downhill next chapter. stay tuned. review it out.


	7. Going Under Pt 2

**Just One Look**

Is this more than you bargained for yet?

_Sugar Were Going Down_, Fall Out Boy

--

Shock sat. She was tired. Her eyes were sunken in, her hair was limp, her skin was blotchy and red from crying. It was a regular night.

She flopped backwards, her body sinking into the duvet like it was a cloud. The music coming out of her stereo drifted through her ears quietly. She breathed deeply, wiping a palm across her face. She just wanted to curl up and cry herself to sleep like all those other bed-ridden nights…but she was sick of crying. She felt so weak…_Crying means your venerable. You can't cry any more. Suck it up Shock,_ she thought to herself harshly. She crawled up her bed to the head of it and squirmed under the covers. She was still in her tank top and jeans, the same clothes she had been wearing when she went to Lock's room that night, but they had been discarded quickly. She didn't really feel like changing, what was the point?

She found herself thinking dark thoughts, all somehow relating to the fact that she had no self-worth. Did she though anymore? The gut feeling was screaming to her that she was being used, by one of her oldest friends no less, and even though she had been denying it strongly to herself, there was only so much she could take. She was starting to believe it. She was just Lock's little whore now, _It's not like he actually likes me. He probably never did…why would anyone like me when they could easily have the pick of anyone in the whole school?_

She felt more tears coming on. She was familiar with this argument, it stung every time she told herself that. She bit her lip. Hard. She felt a metallic taste in her mouth and cursed silently. She turned onto her stomach and bit her pillow to make urge for tears pass. She pressed the pillow hard into her face and screamed so that it was muffled. She screamed and screamed and screamed. No one would hear her, and no one did. She screamed until her voice was giving way, and she lifted her head from the pillow, only to find it covered in blood, sweat, and tears.

No matter how hard she tried they wouldn't leave her. Just like that feeling in the pit of her stomach…something was wrong. She knew it. Something was very, very wrong.

--

She decided to skip out on breakfast with the "family" the next morning. Saturday morning cereal and cartoons just weren't her thing, especially not on a morning like this. She rose to a clock blinking, 7:12, in electric red numbers. She was up early for the time she had gone to sleep the night previous. Four whole hours of sleep…whoopee.

She flung off the covers, they had made her hot in the night and she had woken up covered in sweat, and went to her closet. She picked out a simple outfit. Dark jeans, black tee, dark purple zip up hoody, black sneakers. She took her clothes to the bathroom, showered and made sure to clean up her lip. She had been stupid enough to bit the outside part, so a cut though small, was apparent and visible on the bottom of her lip, not to mention just plain ugly. She knew she looked like crap but she couldn't be bothered as she grabbed her wallet and phone. She crept down the stairs and out the front door, no one was any the wiser of where she was or where she was going.

The early morning chill hit her quick. Even in the approaching "summer" months it hardly got warmer, sometimes if you were lucky, really lucky, it reached the 70's. That was not the case this morning though. Quickly punching in a number she clutched the phone to her ear and her sweatshirt to her chest. "Hello?" The person on the other line asked, groggily.

"Sorry to wake you Iz, I'm coming over okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. O' course Shock…" She yawned through the receiver.

"Alright I'll see you soon. Bye."

"Mm…bye…" And with that Shock hung up. Setting down main street in the direction of Izzy's house. It was eerily silent…then again it _was_ Halloween Town and things were meant to be eerie. But things just seemed creepier than usual. Something about it being so early, no one was out except for a few shop owners, and the usually bustling streets and markets were like no mans land. She wasted no time getting to Izzy's, starting to jog half-way. She reached it in about 15 minutes, and a tired looking Izzy answered the doorbell almost immediately after she rang it.

"Well that's a sexy look," She commented dryly, rubbing one of her eyes and stepping aside so that Shock could come in.

"It was cold, so I ran ok?"

"You look like shit, sweaty or not." She shrugged honestly, leading Shock to her kitchen.

"I know that. I went to bed at three last night," Shock explained.

"Wonder what _you_ were doing last night," She said sarcastically.

"Sex and crying. Nice combo, eh?"

"That's hard Shock, why do you keep that up?"

"Cause he wants it and he's comfortable…" She said as she sat down at the counter. "I don't want to lose him."

"You think he'd dump you over something like that?"

"Well…I don't know. These days I never know,"

"He give you that cut on your lip too?" Iz asked, opening the fridge to poor some juice for them. Shock shook her head quickly. "What'd you do, get in a cat fight with Ava?"

"I wish," Shock said rolling her eyes. Catching the hint from her lingering silence, Izzy decided to drop it.

"Anything to eat?"

"Sure, uh, what have you got?"

"How bout waffles?"

"Extra syrup?"

"Like we could have them any other way," Izzy snorted as she got some mix out from a cupboard.

"Awesome, I'm absolutely _starving_."

"Well missy why don't you come and help me then if your so hungry?"

"Alright, alright, _fine_, you cruel slave driver of a girl!" Shock teased her friend as they giggled. Twenty minutes and a lot of wasted flour, spilt batter and cracked eggs later, the two girls sat down with their food, Shock diving in like she hadn't eaten in weeks.

"Jeez you weren't kidding were you?"

"Oh my god, you have no idea I've been so hungry this past week! I think I gained a pound or two…"

"Don't be dumb that's totally a lie," Izzy told her through a mouthful of waffles.

"No seriously look at my rack, it totally got bigger!"

Izzy took a careful look, "You might be right, but maybe your just not done…_developing_ yet," She giggled.

Shock glared. "That's not funny Iz!" She exclaimed hotly. Iz raised an eyebrow, she knew Shock had always been a little sore about her small size but she was like this about it.

"Okay, okay alright…sorry…jeez, only joking."

"Well it wasn't very funny…"

"PMS much?" She remarked sarcastically, and Shock didn't respond for a little. She put her silverware down and stared at her plate for a second, before looking up.

"Actually I haven't had my period in a while…"

Izzy started to get a little freaked out. "You serious?" Shock just nodded. "Over a month?" She nodded again.

"And I know what your thinking…it got me really worried for a while too but, I mean I can't be…well, _you know…_" She paused, looking down. "I mean I took the morning-after pill right so…I _can't_ be…"

"Wait…where'd you get the morning-after pill?"

"Well…no, not exactly…"

"Did you or didn't you?" Izzy asked.

"I snuck into Ava's room and took one of her birth-control pills…that's the same thing," Shock explained, only receiving a skeptical look from Izzy.

"Are you sure that works the same way?"

"That's what Gina said…and she should know, don't you think? She's screwed half the guys in school…"

Izzy just nodded. There was something going on in her mind, but Shock couldn't quite figure it out.

--

Everything had been going fine, great even. Shock and Lock were on good terms, they hadn't done anything but kiss in almost a week, which was a nice change. The tree house was nearly repaired, and even the teachers seemed to be letting up on school work, they only had a few weeks until they graduated and never had to go to school again. Like I said, things were great.

Until Thursday.

Thursday was the day Izzy called. Called sounding really, really worried. Saying "Shock I need you over here now," to which Shock was more than willing to oblige. The second she got there Izzy pulled her up to her room.

"I did some research…" She said. Shock didn't see where this was going. "I looked it up…and turns out the pill _isn't_ the same as the morning-after…something about the chemicals reacting and doing different things or something…" Now Shock saw where she was going with this. She felt the blood drain from her face and her stomach drop…

Wordlessly, Izzy handed her a small box. Without asking what it was or looking at the label Shock walked into the bathroom and quietly closed the door. After she had put the test in she walked out of the bathroom and waited. It took about an hour before the results showed up…and after 60 fretful and tense minutes the two girls walked into the bathroom. Grabbing the small plastic cup Izzy wiped off the text stick and looked at it. She gasped, handing it slowly to Shock. As she took it from her friend her hands trembled slightly. She read the small screen.

A pink dot…in the box.

She whimpered a little and fell to the floor all in one gracefully pathetic motion.

Pink dot in the box.

Positive.

--

A/N: now say it with me kids: _cliché._ Sorry but, you know it fit so perfectly and…I couldn't resist. I love stories like these! And I finally get to write one…now given I'm writing it badly, but its still fun! Sooo anyways I didn't get many reviews…AHEM…yeah but I'm good. I have one amazing reviewer whose loyal and there response to my review-response totally made my day and inspired me to write this! SO yay! Anywhoo…I've got the rest of this all planned out kiddies…only 5 more chappies and its over….sniff

Anywhooo….review it out bitches )


	8. Going Under Pt 3

**Just One Look**

Pretty Girl

Is Suffering

While he confesses everything

Pretty soon she'll figure out

What his intentions were about

_Pretty Girl (The Way),_ Sugarcult

--

I don't need this. I don't _need_ this. I don't. I don't want it….

I spent the greater part of that evening at Izzy's house, crying. Figuring things out. Funny how most people spend months figuring out things like this. Weather or not they want to keep it, abort it? If they want to keep it are they going to actually keep it or adopt it out? If you keep it how will you pay and support the kid? How are you going to tell them…

Alright so I'm still working out the last parts but I have got some things figured out. I am going to keep it. I'm not against abortion, but I don't think I could do it. It's strange knowing theres something- a person-growing inside you. I don't want to abort it, I don't think I could go through with it and not be haunted by that. I just know I'd always be thinking about it…like what would it be like turning 1? 5 years old? What would it's life be like as a kid? A teenager? Would they make the mistakes I did? Would they be popular?

Izzy tells me I have too much of an imagination. But I couldn't help it…I know I would always be thinking about it. I don't want to adopt it out but…Izzy says I should talk to Lock first. Or Barrel. But she said tell Lock first…so I've been working on that. I probably would have stayed the night but I have to go home and finish packing the stuff I had in my room at Jack's mansion. The house is fixed and we're moving back in tomorrow. I'm more relieved than excited, but it's making me scared. What's it going to be like living with no adults anymore? Just us three…it's scary. I never realized that before. Izzy said if I didn't want to I could move in with her or something, only I'm not sure how serious she was about it. Or how serious I was about it. I feel almost obligated to go back to Lock and Barrel... I mean that tree house is my home, I want to go back, I'm just...nervous is all.

I get home after they've served dinner. I never eat with them anyways. Especially not lately, with me eating so much. I just sneak in after dinner and make my own stuff. I ate at Izzy's house, but when I get home I'm hungry all over again. I worry about graduation in two weeks. I hope I'm going to fit into the outfit I had picked…

I finish my second dinner and head upstairs to my room. I put on music and finish my packing as I contemplate how to tell Lock…I'm sorta miffed he hasn't came by room or asked for me or called or anything. I'm wondering if he even noticed I was gone….?

I fold the flap of a brown box over the other and tape it close. Label it and push it towards the other two sitting near the door. I have everything packed except my clothes so I begin to pack those, but realize I have no suitcase to put it in, Ava had the one I brought them in. I groan, I don't want to have to go to her room. In fact, I really don't want to be within a 50 foot range of her without a brick wall or bulletproof glass between us. I might catch an STD.

I suck it up and head to the next room over. Her door is shut, which isn't out of the ordinary, but there's music blasting out. Rap music. Really, really loud and annoyingly bad rap music. One of those that's about nothing but Shake That Ass and I Wanna Take Off Yo Clothes. Usually, Ava Vanity is all about sappy love songs an happy-happy pop. I think there's a possibility she's having sex, and I think about going back, but I need a fuckin' suitcase and I figure if she is having sex then one time interrupted won't mark her off on her rank of Class-A-Slut.

So I knock.

Big mistake.

No one answers. So I knock harder and the door pushes open a little, like it wasn't ever fully closed. When it opens I peek in through the crack and see what I really did not want to ever see. In her closet with the door open Ava is clad in nothing but a skirt and bra, assumedly getting dressed. She giggles and looks over towards her bed, I knock open the door a little bit more, just enough to see her bed.

Lock is sitting on her bed. Shirtless and holding a bottle of Grey Goose Vodka. He's laughing too. Looking at her. The bottle is half gone.

She comes out of her closet, and to my utter horror and surprise, she was not in there getting changed. She brings out two shot glasses, declaring, "No more hobo-drinking. That's, like, so freckin' grody man." She giggles another drunken giggle and he laughs. The pour the clear poison into the glasses, link arms and shoot them back, laughing wildly. I can't help but gasp. I think Ava hears me because she comes up to the door and opens it more than it was. Her eyes go wide and so do Lock's as they see me there. I'm standing there, not realizing I have my hand over my open mouth, and my eyes are rimmed with tears and hurt. I bite back a sob and turn to run down the hallway.

I can hear Lock calling after me, trying to catch up to me, but in his drunken stooper I, for once, have the advantage over him. I run past my room, not meaning too but I do anyways. I run down another hall, find myself bursting into Barrel's room unexpectedly. I trip as i do, getting rug-burn on my knees, and slam it shut, panting against it. I'm lucky I didn't catch Barrel at a bad time, he's just sitting on his bed, watching TV as he packs. He stops though when he sees me in my panic.

"What's wrong?" He asks getting up. Midway over to me, the door bursts back open. Lock is standing there, looking worried and just as horrified as Barrel. "Oh…" Barrel says as he sees Lock there.

"No!" I yell, I'm backing towards Barrel at this point.

"SHOCK! I swear it wasn't what you think it was! I swear!" He's gasping for breath, as am I, but me for different reasons than him. I'm crying so hard I can hardly move, I feel like I'm going to faint, but no one bothers to help me. They're too scared.

I'm stumbling around like I'm the drunk one. I want someone to fall back on. Luckily Barrel holds me up for a second, I needed it, but I don't thank him. I can't make words at this point. Lock descends upon me body which has sank to the floor. He tries to comfort me, "I swear Shock I wouldn't ever….it's not what you think I still…" But I shrink away and scream at him.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Is what I shriek. "I…I don't want to…I can't handle…"

"We didn't do anything Shock!" He protests. "We didn't…were not…" He's trying to make sense of his own words, he can't put his thoughts into words, I can tell. Is he as baffled as I am at how this turned out? Is it the fact that I am realizing that our life-long friendship may be coming to an end at this very moment. I cry even harder as I think of this. He keeps blabbering, "We didn't…"

"I know! I know Lock I know…I know…" I surprise myself as words trip over my lips between my sobs. "I know…but I…"

"What's the problem then?" He all but yells desperately. I look up at Barrel who's still watching us in revulsion. Well, watching Lock. He looks at me with a look of empathy and sorrow, but to Lock he only shoots disgust. Barrel may not always be the smartest of people but at this point I think he can realize what has been done and who it involves…

"I just can't…I can't do this anymore Lock! I just can't!"

"But we didn't do anything!" He cries back. He's hanging on to what little hope he thinks he has.

"I know…I know…" I sob, covering my eyes with my hand for a second and then looking at him as I say what comes next. "But…I can't do this anymore Lock. I can't go on knowing your with Ava like that. I don't wanna just be the girl you fuck all the time and always have on the side but never in front! I don't…I can't be that girl anymore…I'm sick of being second best in your perfect world. I can't be one of those girls like Ava…I can't do this anymore…" I sob, curling into a ball against Barrel who is now supporting my shaking frame that is huddled on the floor. He envelopes me into a tight embrace and I can feel him glare at Lock.

"But…Shock…"

"JUST GO!" I shriek at him, my voice cracking. I cry and cry and cry and just…cry. Barrel is getting angry, Lock won't leave.

"Leave, man. Go. The doors right there." He snaps at Lock, his glare intensifying. Lock gives one last look our way (or mine, I can't really tell) and walks out, slamming the door. Barrel cradles me in a comforting way. It's times like these I realize how lucky I am to have someone like him. He's always there for me, whether he gets it or not, he's always there. Even when I've blown him off for other friends and more exciting things, he's still there. I couldn't ever ask for a better friend than him, I realize.

He asks me what happened after a while. I tell him about how I found him with Ava. He knows somethings more wrong than that. "What happened before this?" And I gulp at this. I can't lie to him, but I don't want to tell. I'm afraid of him being disappointed in me. But when I finally do, I don't get a lecture, or any scolding. Just, "Oh god…Shock…" And another embrace. He lets go to go grab his cell and make a call. Within five minutes Izzy is over here.

The only problem is that I didn't ever think past this.

I really don't know what to do at this point.


	9. Going Under Pt 4

**Just One Look**

If you will,

Then we'll go as fast as we go far

Maybe we'll be forgotten

When the world is torn apart

Cause the sun won't be so blinding.

And the rain will finally come.

And the ashes will finally pile up to prove we're finally done

_I Feel So_, Box Car Racer

---

I sigh as I walk around the room for the millionth. It isn't as nice as mine was as the Skellington Manour. It's not anything like it, in fact. Its big, sure, but there's no lace or antiques or ivory wallpaper. The room is a dark but vibrant purple, like something out of a H.I.M. flyer, and covered in posters. Black furniture covers the room. The bathroom is black marble and beautiful. It's a different kind of luxury, it's a Gothic Mansion and has been decorated accordingly.

"I really can't thank you enough," I tell Izzy for the hundredth time.

"It's nothing, Shock." She smiles genuinely at me with Barrel at her side.

"Nothing? Your letting me move in with you…" I sigh again, smiling as I flop onto the bed…my new bed…

"You needed a place to stay," She tells me, looking me in the eye.

…A bed I will never share with Lock, ever.

"But this is…too much…" I pause, smoothing the sheets down a bit. "But it's so great, really, thank you Iz." I smile and hug her.

I still can't believe she's letting me move in with her, you know? Barrel and Izzy have been the best in this past week. After the…whole…_thing_ with Lock, those two were completely supportive. Izzy let me stay at her house and after she told her parent's what had happened they agreed to let me move in. They don't mind at all, not even with the fact that I'm…well, _expecting_. Even when they heard that I was keeping it, and really keeping it, not adopting it out.

But…they also know they don't really have a say in it…it _is_ up to Izzy in the long run. They're never at the Manor. They have another mansion in the South County of Halloween Town, which is way bigger. The only reason they come to this one is because Izzy goes to school here, but for the most part they stay in their other mansion, even when she is in school. Once she's 18 and has graduated this mansion goes completely to her and her parent's will be living in the South Halloween Town mansion permanently, which leaves Izzy free to do as she likes with it. Since she's not going to University, and neither am I, I came up with the idea of her maybe renting out some of the rooms for rent or the basement for shows on weekends (I've always wanted to have an underground place for bands to play, but East Halloween town is more of that scene).

But it's not just Izzy. Barrel has been great about it too, he's always there for me. I don't have to thank him, he always knows how thankful I am to him, though I do think he is taking it a little far with Lock. He refuses to talk to him, despite the fact that they do live together. He says if it doesn't get better soon he's probably going to have to move out and maybe stay here. He's unbelievably mad at Lock…but Lock hasn't said anything to him either. Lock hasn't said anything to any of us for a matter of fact. He's just been hanging out with a few of his friends from school for the most part. At least he's not talking to Ava either…I don't think.

"So," Barrel says, breaking our silence. "How is your graduation speech coming?" He asks. I flush red.

"It's good. I'm using a lot of song lyrics I wrote as quotes and stuff…" I say to him. Though I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing, on Monday of this week my English teacher approached me, telling me I was being asked to give a speech at graduation, because supposedly, my "writing and poetry was superb." I agreed, and to tell you the truth the only reason why I wanted to do it was to take my mind off of Lock, but if anything I just think about him more. It's the farewell speech, the last one to let out our class. I'm excited and nervous. That speech is supposed to be all about love and friendship…I hope I am living up to it.

The one thing I can tell you right now, is I'm really egar for the rest of my life to start.

---

I'm sitting there in the first fucking row and I'm sweating my brains out under this stupid gown and cap. Our class president, Melikin, is making his speech and it's almost over. Soon he will introduce me and I'll have to walk up and give my speech to everybody. And it seems, the world really hates me right now. You see, on each of the wings of the stage, the parts that are right there next to the audience, there are 10 seats. On the left wing, the principal, vice principal, and 8 other supposedly important figures sit. On the right, there are 10 students seated, only sitting there because they're the 10 students who will receive awards at graduation. And of course, one of those 10 had to be Lock. Lucky for me, Barrel got his seat front and center in the audience, and I have him for support to shoot me nice little encouraging smiles. But it's the stares from Lock that really get me.

The crowd is cheering and people start looking at me. _Shit,_ I think. I know it's time for me to go up. I slowly rise and my white gown flows as I walk. I shake hands with Melikin and go up to the podium. I take a deep breath, my heart is racing so fast I can hardly breath. It's the feeling Lock used to give me. But now I have no time for Lock, even though this entire speech is practically about him…

Shit, well, here it goes…

"Words to live by… 'You want to, but you can't. And when you do, you wish you didn't.' Confusing, but meaningful, just as most of our lives have and will be…

"It's funny how you go through time and nothing changes, but you look back and everything is different." I pause. "You say I choose sadness, and that it has never once chosen me…this is what happens in life. You go through, you're sad, you're angry…you're happy. Eventually everything will fall into its place, but until then, we laugh at the confusion, we live for the moment and we always remember…everything happens for a reason.

"As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let us down probably will." I don't know why but I look at Lock as I say this, but he's staring right back, and not with the kind of 'I have to' look on his face. He's actually listening. That scares me.

"You'll have your heart broken and you'll break others hearts. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry over little things. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll fall in love. You'll change. You'll cry because time is passing so fast, you'll eventually…lose somebody you love. So we will take too many pictures, laugh too much, forgive freely and love like we've never been hurt because every second we spend angry, or upset, is a second of happiness that we can never get back…" I pause again, and take a deep breath. As I speak, I speak slowly.

"We came together, fell apart, and broke each others hearts. But what I have come to realize is that…people don't change, they become more of who they really are. Sometimes this can be hard to face, hard to realize, but we move on, we find someone else, _something_ else, to dream about and live for. Sometimes you kiss someone and you know right then and there that's who you want to kiss for the rest of your life. You don't get to choose, you just fall… It's the same way with your friends. Your true friends. You get this person who is all wrong and all right at the same time, and you know that you love them so much except sometimes they just drive you completely insane, and no one can explain it, and the reason its so confusing, is cause its love. Its friendship. But if love, and friendship, and the things that mattered the most in this life…or afterlife…didn't have any challenges, what would be the point?

"Maybe we're not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciating small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes simply to be human. Maybe we're thankful for the familiar things we know, and maybe we're thankful for the things we'll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate." I stop for a second. I shudder and take another breath. I have read and re-read the next part over thousands of time. I hope as I present it, I will not cry as I have done so many times revising and re-reading it.

"Love…love is something that is losing its meaning. Love is hard to define. You want to know what it is…I think I might have come close writing this…

"Love…is looking into his eyes and forgetting all about the world around you. It's feeling those feelings hours after they're gone and realizing that you'll never be able to find another person that can even compare to them. We've got lists of things we want to change about ourselves, because ever since we've met these people, we become a mess of insecurities…" I stop, bite my lip, and continue. I can feel Lock's eyes burning into me, Barrel is looking on and telling me silently, Y_ou can do this. _I can feel it.

"We were promised forever and so we're sitting here waiting, because somewhere deep down inside our hearts we want to believe that there is a chance… Everything happens for a reason, and sometimes things fall apart just so other things can fall together. But in the end, what's meant to be will always find its way…

"Someone out there _is_ meant to be the love of your life. Your best friend. Your soul mate. The one you can tell your dreams to will smile at you when you tell them, but they will never laugh at your heart. They will be perfect. Never let you down, and if they do will make it up and make it okay. They will always be there for you…and you will thank God or Buddha or Allah or Satan or whoever you want to thank, that you have found them and they have found you and you have them in your life…"

Finally my speech is almost done and I am at my last paragraph. By this time I am shaking and however much it hurts, I force myself to look at Lock as I say it. "I understand we both grew up. There's things you have to do….The only thing I ask of you if you ever fall in love again, I hope you find yourself. Someone who knows how to appreciate the way you laugh. I am always here for you…"

And slowly, I turn away and I step back, letting Melikin take the stage again. I don't see Lock's reaction, I can't bring myself to look at him again. Melikin says something, but it's deaf in my ears. I watch and see as people rise, scream and cheer. They smile. They clap for me, clap for him, and clap for the time that has come and the goodbyes that are being said. They clap because this has happened, we are thankful that it has. The pain has brought happiness and glory. There is a sea of white and black gowns, and the girls and the boys cheer and throw their caps into the air. There is no Lock in my head for this second. There is only purity and bliss. Izzy comes from her row and Barrel comes from the audience, and they throw their arms around me and we cheer and cry and laugh and smile because it is over and we can start the rest of our lives.

But it wasn't the rest of my life, I realize that now. It was the end of my beginning, and the beginning of enternity.

--

A/N: alright, the graduation speech is mostly stolen from my friend who took it from some place and put it on her sight….idk where, but MOST of it is NOT mine. Some of it is but most is not. Anyways…. REVIEW BITCHES…YOUR GETTING LAZY AT THAT hahahaha no just kidding I love you guys…lol. & thanks so much to the people who have reviewed, you keep me going!


	10. Thnks Fr Th Mmrs

**Just One Look**

Drink up beautiful.

I spiked your cup with angst and a heart attack,

'cause I've got so much trapped

It's all because of you.

So I figured you might like some back

Don't Call Me Peanut,_ Bayside_

----------------

"What is this place?" A man asked as he stepped out of a black limo. He was tall, and tan for someone coming out of Halloween Town (which is hardly sun-kissed). He had an astonishing pair of ice-blue eyes, and a head of chin-length fiery-red hair to contrast his eyes and match his tail. He was decked out in a black oxford with a tie and slacks the same colour. His ginormous feet were clad in combat boots. "And why do I feel like I've seen it before…" He paused, examining the side of the mansion the parking lot faced. "Wait…I _have_ seen this place before! What is it?"

Emerging out of the limo after him was a woman, rolling her eyes. She was pretty, with long black hair that fell straight down her back, and red eyes that glowed like they were rubies. She was almost as pale as the moon that hung in the sky and she glowed like it too. But everyone knew that this was not the mans date. Lock didn't date.

"Its '_The Manour,'_ you dolt! It's a really big music-café and club here. I'm pretty sure it's the biggest one on Central Halloween town as a matter of fact…" She said, exasperated.

"Oh, well excuse me, Liena, but some of us haven't been in Central Halloween Town in _five years_, so forgive me if my knowledge of this sector has slipped a bit," he retorted, annoyed with his co-worker just a little. She always nagged and teased him. "Remind me why we're here again?"

"_The Manour_, is actually only a music-café-slash-club on certain nights of the work-week and weekend," She explained as they started walking towards the front doors. "In daytime and the time's when it's not being used for shows to have local and large-scale bands play, its actually known as S.B.I. Record Industries. It's the biggest recording and producing companies of music in all of Halloween Town…we're trying to snag an advertising gig with them," She paused, adding, "It's really cool because it's run by these really young people and it was only started like four or so years ago. They also rent out the mansion to a lot of bands they sign, especially when they're recording. It's like this uber-big Gothic Mansion and it's a really awesome place. And it's going to be packed tonight…do you know what tonight is?"

"Nope, I don't know, Liena. What is it?" Lock rolled his eyes and said in a deadpan tone, only to humor the girl.

"Its their Anniversary Celebration, so they're showcasing they're biggest and best bands! Practically everyone in this town from ages 13 to 30 will be there, not to mention other business people and lots and lots of sponsorships!"

"Amazing…" He said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh shut-up! You'll see, you really will! Here, come this way—" She said as she led him through two huge carved wooden doors, which we're wide open and filled with other people milling in and out. On the front lawn there were people sitting on blankets and vendors selling food and drinks and alcohol, where inside there was a constant flow into the basement, which judging on the size of _The Manour_, would be positively gigantic.

It was.

Right as you hit the first step of the basement stairs, the music hit you and began to work its way through your brain, overwhelming you. The scent of sweat, beer, and teen spirit, came on stronger than an exotic dancer being paid a large tip. On the stage there was a group of tall, gangly kids with eyeliner and dark hair playing. The singers voice filled the basement and his lyrics of, "I want to hate you half as much as I hate myself," were mixing with the cheers and murmur of the audience. Liena led him over to the "real" bar, where only the sleezy business-men were hanging, surveying the music with pretend interest, though you could tell with one quick look that they would rather have a conversation with an Apple Martini than these band members any day.

"Go light on the drinks tonight, we have a meeting with Isabelle after the last set and I don't want you to be too drunk off your ass,"

"And where are you going to be up until this meeting? And who's Isabelle?"

"Right over…there," She said, pointing at a sulking guy in a tie, sitting in the corner of the bar with a mop of black hair over his eyes. "Hooking up with him…. Hopefully…" She said walking away, and never answering his second question.

---------------

After three drinks, Lock had loosened up a bit. He had been really tense once he figured out where he was actually. This was Izzy's old Mansion. It brought back memories, but the alcohol helped to let him forget if only for a short while.

The bands that played were actually very good. They were all of the harcore/emo/punk/scremo genre, but they were very professional, and had the sort of air to them that appealed to the general public of Halloween Town. Since he had been there, about four bands had played and they were setting up for the final set, which was a band with about two different singers who both played guitar, a bassist and a drummer. He didn't know the name of the band but he knew there was a lot of hype about it, and epically the one girl who was in the band.

Lock sat around by the edge of the stage waiting for the set to start. Almost none of the people were in that area of the floor since hardly anyone wanted to sit during this set, everyone wanted to dance (but Lock was too tipsy for that). His sleeves had been rolled up, and his skinny tie loosened a bit. He was enjoying the music, but when the music stopped and the transition from one set to another settled in, he found himself falling back into his depressing disposition.

He got another drink at the bar and came back where the band had finally started to play. They were ending a song and transitioning into another. He liked this music the most out of all the others. There were some really good melodies and harmonies, and the alternating between the male and female singer was really kind of energizing and fresh to the sound. They sang and screamed and belted out angst like it was no tomorrow. They were something new among the rest of the bands, and the audience seemed to appreciate it just as much as Lock did.

Of course, being the only girl in that particular band, the chick singer got a lot of extra praise and cheers. She had a great voice and a great hand with her guitar (which was very nice as well, a red electric-acoustic…). And even Lock, who generally didn't take the time to notice a lot of grils, could appreciate her looks. She was tall and skinny, but not anorexic-skinny, kind of muscle-skinny but not bulging ones either. She had long hair that was tightly curled and shone a dark purple colour in the stage-lights, falling to her waist. She was wearing knee-high combat boots with spikes on them, thigh-high socks and a pin-striped skirt that had a layer of tulle under it, making it poof out like a ballet-skirt, only much, much shorter. A tight-corset top and arm-sleeves with spiked bracelets and straps matched her the ones around her neck. And somehow she managed to make the ring of jet-black makeup around her eyes look classy while she sang into a microphone.

The male singer walked up to the front of the stage with a mic in his hands, his guitar left on the side of the stage as he spoke to the audience, "Well…this is the end of our set guys, but we'd just like to thank you for coming out and being such a great crowd-" The audience exploded in cheers and screams.

The girl walked up next to him and said, "For our next song we're not going to be playing our guitars, this song isn't as much about that as it is the lyrics…I've never preformed this song before but it was written almost five years ago and we are so glad to be singing it for you here tonight!" She yelled into the microphone, where she was met with as much enthusiasm as her crowd. "Alright…here we go ladies and gents…"

A slow bass tune was being plucked while the two singers clutched their microphones and nodded their heads. The tune picked up and the guy started singing with the auidance responding and cheering for him.

As they hit the chorus, the two started singing, which was a more mellow tone than his previous angry screams had been. They sang quieter and more reserved, but it never stopped sending the message of the pain they sung with in their voices. "I, lost it all. I fell today. It's all the same…I'm sorry, oh, I'm sorry, no… No. And I've, been abused. I feel so used, because of you…I'm sorry, oh, I'm sorry, no…"

The male singer stepped back, leaving the girl center stage. For her verse, the audience heard no voice they had heard in the other songs. There was no sweet melody or beautiful velvet to her voice. It was a scratchy, pained, black-hearted tone. It was a cross between screaming, singing, agony and moaning in pain. It held an emotion that these words couldn't give to you if they tried. And so she screamed:

"I wish I could have _quit_ you! I wish I never _missed_ you! Or told you that I _loved _you, every time I _fucked _you!" She gasped for breath, like she was dying of the agony she sang with. "The future that we both drew…and all the _shit_ we'd been through… Possessed with the thought of _you,_ my pain just _grew_ and _grew_!" She shrieked, bending over to scream into her mic as her face was only feet away from the audience. "How could you do this to me? Look at what I had made for you! It never was enough—and the _world_ is what I gave to you!" She straightened back up, coming right up to the front to sing, " I used to be _love struck,_ and now I'm just _fucked up_!" She then lifted up her arm and pulled down one of her arm-sleeves and shrieked her last line: "PULL UP MY SLEVES AND SEE THE PATTERN OF MY CUTS!" The audience roared with applause as they were met with a mess of white lines on her forearms. They looked like stitches, only more crude. Lock wondered if they were real…

They repeated the chorus a few times, and as the song ended, Lock felt like his ears were about to explode it was so loud. He was shoved into a wall harshly as people rushed by him, crowding to the front to scream their last praises. The two singers as well as the bassist and drummer came up to the front to greet the crowd as they thanked them over and over, but not even the microphone could overpower the cheers of their fans. It was deafening. It was painful…and then reality and a great and terrifying realization overpowered him, and he felt like he was going to die of Shock.

-----------------------

(Lock POV)

The conference room was stuffy and the air was so densely packed with tension and angst it had no room for anything more than Liena's business drabble and ranting. Despite the strain between us, the meeting was going painfully well. It looked like we were going to get the deal, which meant we would have to stay for at least one more week. At _least_.

The four on the left side of the table were people I couldn't stand to look at in that point in time. I didn't even know the fourth one, and she still wanted to kill me, just like the rest of them. Karma is a bitch, remember that before you ruin anyone's life.

I had spent so much of my time trying to forget them all (its hard to forget when you spent eleven years with the same people) I never bothered to think about what would happen if I faced them again. After I had left I never associated them with anything besides memories, they were nothing tangible to me anymore. And now it's like a nightmare you wake up to find is real, because suddenly they've managed to find away out of my mind and onto solid ground.

I haven't said a thing this entire meeting, I haven't even looked at any of them. I can't. Not any of them, especially Shock. I don't want to fall all over again. I'm begging we don't get the deal so I can just forget about this and never have to own up to anything and never find out what happened and never have to explain and never have to do anything ever again.

"So it's set!" Liena smiles, leaning across the table to shake hands with Barrel.

"Right," Iz says stiffly, rising from her seat. "Well, we'll get you some rooms for the night, and how about we schedule another meeting for tomorrow over dinner?"

"Yes! That would be great!" Liena agrees, and I want to take a slab of cement to my head. Why? Why, Why, Why, Why, Why, Why, WHY?

"Is six alright?" Liena nods at her. "Well then, Barrel? Will you show these two to their rooms?"

He smiles, but not in a good way, though you wouldn't be able to tell unless you had grown up with him like I had. "Sure," He agrees as he leads us upstairs through hallways painted with dark colours and decorated with posters galore. He shows Liena to her's first and then starts taking me to mine.

"What the fuck, man?" He says suddenly, stopping. I saw this coming. "What the fuck?" He asks again. "What the hell are you doing here? And where the hell have you been, asshole? You have a lot of nerve showing your face here again, you know that?"

"It wasn't my idea!" I snap. "I didn't even know you guys ran this place…I didn't even know what it was until tonight…"

"You've got a lot of fucking nerve, man,"

"I know…I know…" I look at him, he's angry, but not the way he used to be. "I'm sorry, I am…"

"Where the hell have you been all these years?" He asks me, a little less harsh this time. We've stopped at room number 279, I recognize my bags in front of the door as Barrel hands me the key, but I make no move to go in.

"You just….disappeared…" he continues. I open my mouth to say something, but he quickly interrupts. "Wait…" He looks at me with a sort of cut of his eye, ordering "Come with me," and then turning around and leading me back downstairs.

We stop in front of a swinging door with a large metal skull on the front, complete with a chef's hat on its head. I'm taking a wild guess and saying it's the kitchen. He pushes the door open where Izzy, Shock and the Girl-From-the-Conference-I-Don't-Know are. They go silent practically the second they see me standing in the doorframe, but they only see me for that second because the door swings back towards me and hits me in the face.

Seriously, karma is a bitch.

"Oh my god!" Shock says as Barrel scrambles for the door, holding it open as Shock drags me from my feet and into the kitchen. "Are you okay?" She sits me down on a stool. Her eyes are wide and my head is throbbing like all hell is going to break forth from my frontal lobe.

"I think so…can I get some ice?"

The Girl-From-the-Conference-I-Don't-Know nods and scrambles to a gigantic refrigerator, where she pulls an ice pack from the freezer and, in turn, hands it to Shock. "Man…you really _haven't_ changed all these years…" She sighs, sadly while pressing the ice to my head. But Shock being Shock and knowing me all too well took my silence at her remark as an, _I'm not listening_, and took time to explain, "Oh, and that's Alexa. She's Barrel's girlfriend…" gesturing towards the Girl-From-the-Conference-I-Don't-Know.

"Wait…so you and Izzy never like got together?" I asked, confused. Those two _liked_ each other, whatever happened to that? _Well at least his current girlfriend is cute…_

Izzy laughed and shook her head. "It was really that obvious?" Me and Shock both nod, laughing. "Yeah, well," She pauses, looking at him. They're both kinda grinning with one of those looks…what the hell? "We went out for a while but…we were better off friends, get it?"

"Yeah…I get it…" We laugh for a few more seconds, and for a little bit its almost like how things used to be, and then comes silence. The air grows awkward again and I know everyone is searching for something to say that's not completely mean, even though I probably really deserve it.

Barrel opens his mouth to say something I think, but then stops quickly. Everyone has gone very, very stiff, like a piece of elastic that's just about ready to snap. What the hell?

I turn around and…there's a kid standing in the doorframe…

Seriously, like a little four-year-old kid, standing in the door frame.

"Mommyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy…" He whines as he drags his feet into the kitchen, almost tripping over his too-long pajama pants that match his blood-red tee shirt. The kid has a huge head of dark, almost black hair, which is falling into his pale blue eyes in loose curls. He's pale and skinny and looks a lot like Shock, expect for the eyes…

_Wait… Could this be….? No…no that's impossible…that's crazy…_

"Mo-om!" He whines again, while everyone is still dead silent. The kid walks up to Shock and grabs her around the leg, combat boots and all,

And she giggles…and picks him up.

Shock just responded to a small child calling her MOM…what am I missing? "Yes, sweetheart?"

"Moooooommy, I can't sleep…"

"How about a glass of Blood Juice?" She asks as the kid grins with a set of bright, white teeth, and four very sharp looking fangs. (Where the hell did he ever get fangs from? Shock doesn't have them…I think I would have known…)

"Yeah!" He agrees, slapping his tiny hands down on the counter and clicking his claws as he waits. She brings him back a cup of juice and he drains it quickly, then looking at me and asking, "Mommy, who's that funny guy over there?" gesturing towards me with his empty cup, which Shock promptly snatched from him and took to the sink.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" She giggles as she cleans the cup, the kid pouting a little. "Go on…" She coaxes him.

"Hey, mister, what's your name?"

"My name is Lock," I tell him.

"Hi Lock! I'm Dev, and I'm 4! How old are you?"

"I'm about 24 years old," I can't help but smile, I've always sort of had a soft spot for kids.

"Your almost as old as my mom!" He exclaims happily, "My mommy is 23 and she's my favouritest person in the whole wild world, along with my auntie Izzy and my auntie Alexa and my uncle Barrel and my doggy too!" As he finishes talking his voice goes up slightly and he gasps for breath like he was running out of air as he ranted.

Shock giggles, going over to pick Dev up. She bounces him on her hip and he wraps his arms around her neck (I'm surprised he can reach…he's pretty tall for a 4 year old) making a little kid kind of noise that I'm pretty sure is supposed to mean he's happy. He's a cute kid, he really is but…

"Time for little kids to go to bed," Shock sings to the kid, who's still gurgling on her shoulder.

"No! I'm not little!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!" He giggles as she tickles him a little, walking to the door.

"Here, Shock I'll help put him to bed!" Alexa says, running after Shock, her short head of blonde hair swinging as she does. They disappear out the door and I'm just sitting there…

I. Am. _Very_. Confused.

"Yeah, so, well you kind of missed a lot since you've been gone…" Barrel says, scratching his head.

I can't seem to do anything right now but stand, stupefied, and make a face that looks like a trout gaping for water. I didn't say anything, all I did was grab my key in my pocket and walk up to my room.

You know when something hits you really, _really_ hard and you can't seem to think or speak or even _breathe_?

That's a little bit what it felt like.

-----------------------------

A/N: oh my! MWAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA ok done…i'm not terribly proud of this chapter...but...whatever,oh well.

.so uhm yeah, how do you like things 5 years in the future of my story? XD and so it turns out this fic might be a little bit longer than I thought cause I think im gonna take my time and drag this whole experience out! Bahahaha im so evil……

Anyways thanks so much to ALL my reviewers but espically Alexa…she's actually IN the story now as Alexa who's Barrel's gf and….yeah! She's an awesome reviewer and….maybe you should give me great reviews like her! Haha just kidding kids well…im gonna post this write the next chapter right away (ill post it in a bit) because I am SO SO SO excited about this story now - tootleoo dearies!


	11. Thnks Fr Th MMmrs Pt 2

**Just One Look**

the problem with sex is self respect calibration.

the orgasm services your validation.

the problem with love is that it lives in a book now.

the problem with drugs is that there too fucking good now.

the problem with logic is that there's to many loop holes.

the problem with truth is that it's usually too brutal.

The Biggest Lie,_ Murs & Slug_

---

It was obvious that we were going to get the deal. There were a few possible reasons for why--logical ones anyways. 1) Some higher power loves smiting me and seeing me suffer. 2) Karma is a bitch and biting me in the ass all over again. Or 3) I'll get back to you on that one..

And since I'm not religious in any way, I'm still resting on 3 and awaiting an explanation. It seemed that if i wanted any answers I'd have to result to interrogating Izzy or Barrel again; I was just waiting for the opportunity to present itself. I would love to go to Alexa, but the simple matter of the fact is I just don't know her…and talk about weird and awkward. And Shock...

Well that was sort of...out of the question. I think at least that's obvious. But as far as asking Izzy or Barrel goes...

This is pretty difficult, considering how _swamped_ those three are. They're always busy, and so is the mansion. I'm fairly sure they don't even bother to lock the doors on account of people coming and going at all times of day and night. I'm surprised they haven't been robbed, but I guess criminals know better. It's a 24-7 music madhouse and I can't imagine how much time, effort and money it must have cost to transform this mansion into a full fledged recording studio/hotel/concert venue. They said they usually have two or three bands in the house recording at a time. At one time! Barrel said once they even had about 7 or 8 bands staying in the mansion because it was before some huge concert festival thing they hosted two years back. I think I remember Liena talking about it. I'm pretty sure she went with Scotty, our boss, and that's when they first started scoping out S.B.I. Records as a possible advertising investment. I asked Scotty why they didn't actually put in an offer for a deal sooner and he said he didn't actually expect them to stay open, that usually these kinds of places fall through within 2 or 3 years. The one thing I remember him saying was "For people as young as the kids running that place…to actually be doing something and doing it well...I can't help but be completely impressed." And then he went on to rant about how the public would definitely "dig" these people since they were young and hot, hip (who uses that word anymore, anyways?) etc. etc.

I wonder what they would think if they knew one of the owners, and leaders of their biggest band, was a mother? (A mother who I used to date and still have not found out who this father is, for that matter. )

I could probably just ask, but it's easier said than done. And I'm not really sure if I want to know. Dev is 4, right? That means that right after me and Shock broke up she jumped into the sack with another guy and got herself….Well yeah…but my point is...how's that for a serious downgrade to your self esteem? And she was pointing fingers at _me_? Anyways, it's not like it matters now since she's obviously moved on and shit and I have no say and we don't like each other anymore anyways. But still...I'd just like to know who she was hopping around with in bed right after me. Is that so wrong?

And if someone...well, not to be crude, but knocked her up...why isn't she married or engaged or something? Who is this asshole anyways?

I planned to get my answers that day. Even if maybe I didn't like them. Key word being planned…since there was no guarantee I would be getting these answers.

I had to go back to our district of Halloween town while Liena stayed back for the meeting at dinner time and I fetched our bags and crap like that. Thanks very much Scotty, all due to him we'll be staying about 2 weeks. Awkward? I think so. Even more awkward? The news I got on the way back to _The Manour_ when Liena called me screaming with joy.

"We got it! We got it so down!" She shrieked. "Oh my god, Lock! Izzy is _soo_ pumped for this! We are so freckin' excited, and oh my god, this is going to be amazing!"

"That's awesome, Liena. I'm so glad,"

"I know! Oh my god, Lock…" She squealed, obviously missing my lack of enthusiasm. "Guess what else?"

"What…?" I asked, my stomach dropping. Somehow, I knew, I just _knew_ that this _guess what_ was not going to be good news for us. Or me, rather.

"At the end of the second week when we're done, Izzy wants to throw a _ha-uuuge_ party at _The Manour_, with all these, like, celebrities and famous people and all those guys from the bands, and have a huge, like, banquet party thing…" She trailed off, letting this statement settle and hang in the air before she screamed, "WITH US AS THE GUESTS OF HONOUR!!!" She laughed and screamed into the phone like a fucking five year old who had too much damn candy.

"No way…"

"Yeah, way! And the best part is, like, Izzy is really good friends with this _amazing_ fashion designed who I know you've never even, like, heard of, but she's amazing and when you get home she's coming over and taking measurements and she's going to be making _custom outfits_! Just for us!"

"That's…great, Liena," I sighed. "Really amazing. I'm going to be back at _The Manour_ in about an hour. We'll talk then, okay?"

"Okay!" She giggled, hanging up and leaving me with a huge headache.

--

As usual, when I got back the place was crazy as It always seemed to be. Some random guy took our luggage away, and I got stopped by another random person telling me to go to the kitchen and that Izzy had been looking for me. This place made my head wanna explode. How could these people live like this? There was never any organization and everything was just a mess 24-7. There was never a moment of silence…ever. I think I'd go crazy. I think I just might if I have to stay two weeks _here_.

The kitchen scenario was a disaster waiting to happen. Random emo kids telling you your ex-best-friends are looking for you just generally is a little confusing if not a warning sign for bad and awkward things to come. That swinging door meant certain insanity, but I went on in anyways. You can't hide forever (however much I'd love to).

Something smelled good. Izzy was leaning over an open oven door while a pot of something-or-other boiled on the stove above it. Barrel was holding a hyped-up-looking Dev on his back while Alexa sat at the kitchen island, recording the measurements some (other) girl I didn't know took on Liena. I sort of just assumed this was the _amazing_ fashion designer who I've never even, like, heard of. And I was right.

"Lock, Charlie. Charlie, Lock," Izzy said distractedly, stirring her food and throwing something leafy and suspiciously healthy looking into the pot.

"You're name's Charlie?" I asked.

"Lock!" Liena gasped. "How rude can you be? Jesus! This woman is only, like, the best designed in our entire town!"

"But Charlie is a boy's name…"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well I don't know many other people named _Lock_ either, kiddo," She snorted. "So I'd say don't get ahead of yourself," She laughed, continuing to measure. Liena just glared at me and shook her head. She _so_ hated me right now, and I _so_ didn't care.

And then someone swung the kitchen door open, knocking straight into me, and I _really_ didn't care then. "Fuck, Lock! You really need to stop doing that!" Shock said, bending over to help me up.

"That was so your fault! You kidding?" I yelled back.

"So? You didn't havta push so hard!"

"Stop being such a wuss," She said, blowing a raspberry at me. I looked away and noticed everyone in the room was staring at us like we had grown extra heads (except for Dev who was playing with Barrel's hair).

"_What_?" We both said at the same time.

"You two just totally spoke to each other like…"

"Normally," Barrel finished for Izzy.

"Like how you guys used to," She added.

"So?" We both looked at each other and then back at them.

Barrel shrugged. "At least we can say we're over the weird awkward phase now. I'm not complaining,"

"Ditto that,"

"So what is it we're supposed to be doing right now, exactly?" I asked.

"I'm taking you measurements, so stand up, bitch," Charlie said just as I sat down. I groaned. "Oh come on, don't be lazy!"

"ME!" Dev yelled, propelling himself off of Barrel's shoulders and towards me, latching onto my leg. "I WANNA GET MEASURED TOO! ME TOO LOCK, ME TOO!" He wiggled on my ankle. Mostly everyone watched with mild amusement though I guess they were probably used to it, except for Shock who looked mildly freaked out. I just kinda laughed…I've never been too great with kids (then again, i never thought Shock was either). "LIFT!" He yelled at me, tugging on my leg.

"Huh?" I said, looking around.

"Up, Lock, up!" He begged. He was a cute kid. He had one of those pleading faces (wonder who he got that from). I couldn't say no. I lifted him up, and for his size and height he was surprisingly light; skinny under the baggy clothes he wore, just like we did when we were kids. He latched on and started playing with my hair.

"Here, Lock, let me-"

"No," I said. "I don't mind,"

"Really, i'll take him. You don't have-"

"No, seriously," I said, looking her right in the eye. She was short as ever; she hadn't changed at all, she just grew up a little i guess. "It's okay….seriously,"

She looked at me for a long second. She looked at me and at Dev and at me again and there was this odd kind of look in her eye, something i couldn't place. She locked eyes with me and lingered there for a second, with that expression i couldn't read before finally snapping and looking away. "Well i gotta go down to the studio downtown to shoot more for the music video," She turned towards Barrel. "Patrick called too. Something about the next This Chaos show and shit. Apparently we're going to be hosting one next week, or something," She shrugged and turned, walking out. I watched the door swing.

--

"She was nice, wasn't she?"

"What?"

"Charlie,"

"My name is Lock,"

"No! I meant Charlie…the clothing designed? Wasn't she nice?"

"No, not really," I said since she definitely wasn't. She picked on me all throughout my measuring. I couldn't tell if she was ever being serious or not…but she was kinda pretty.

"Oh, Lock," She sighed. "Having a hard time dealing with her?"

"What are you talking about?" I spat.

"She was flirting with you that entire time! And you were totally flirting back! You can't deny it," She smirked.

"Yeah, actually, I can," I argued. "And i will,"

I walked out of her room before she could say anything back. I wanted to find Barrel or Izzy or someone. I needed answers. I was getting frustrated and i wanted some fucking answers. I checked all the main areas; the dining room, the kitchen, the basement, the living room, the game room…i resorted to where i knew the recording studios would be. Maybe they were there?

And there they were. The Izzy-Barrel-Alexa trio all huddled around a computer and a big table with a lot of fucking knobs. It reminded me of me and Barrel and Shock-the way we used to be. Never separated and always doing everything as a unit. My throat got all caught up and lumpy for a second; i almost wished that i was still there with them…almost. But they were a part of my past. I wasn't one of them anymore and we had all changed; we went our separate ways. They started a business, a company, and i started working in a company trying to be a good business man. They were famous, i was normal. They'd made their huge comeback from being the losers in high school, they were big-shots, and i was a nobody. I was someone who was just trying to occupy time until i found something better, even if i wasn't really looking. I wasn't doing anything; I had no place with them anymore.

"Can i talk to you?" I said, walking over to Barrel.

"Sure," He said. "It a private thing?" I nodded and as if they read his (or my) mind, Izzy and Alexa got up to leave the room. "What do you need?" He asked, pushing back his hair and leaning closer to several computer screens, turning nobs and pressing buttons.

"I've got some questions,"

"Of course you do," He sighed. "But look man, if your gonna start talking sales and deals and shit, I'm busy and i need to finish this, so please-"

"Not about the advertising thing. About Shock,"

He finally looked up, right at me. He had been expecting this; we both knew it. "It's about time," He looked away again. "What do you wanna know?"

"Let's start big; how did all this start?"

"This?" He asked.

"This," I said, waving my hands around me and near the recording booth i could see through a window in the studio.

"This? The company?" I nod. "We were bored. We had nothing to do after graduation and we had a shitload of money from Izzy, so we decided to make a recording studio so that Shock and her band could make a CD. So we did…" He looks at me. "Shit god big…they started playing on the radio and we started getting more money; playing shows and shit like that with full blown record sales and making CD's…but we needed a company to put on her CD, so we gave it a name. Then people started sending in tapes and shit to try and get signed, like we were a real record company…so we figured, why not? Sign a few bands, make their CD's. Everything just kept getting bigger and bigger, till now….we've got 19 bands signed on this label and we spend a fortune redecorating and remodeling this place to make it the way it is. We did it for fun but we got something huge…just lucky, i guess,"

"Her band? Since when does she have a band?"

"About a year after graduation she started one. They got good, and they got really big, really fast. They're called This Chaos…she mentioned it before?"

"Right…and what happened to the tree house?"

He paused and looked away for a second. "You remember that really big storm that hit a few years back? It was all over the news and stuff…you remember that?"

I did. It was right after I got my job and I didn't have to go into work for a week because our ground floor was completely flooded. It poured, nonstop for five days and it thundered and there was lightening and really, really fucking high winds and a little hail i think, too. I couldn't leave my apartment for a few days and stayed in playing cards by candlelight with the people on my apartment floor.

"Yes," I answer.

"Well…it kind of got really messed up after that…we never fixed it and i haven't gone back in years….it could have totally collapsed by now, but i wouldn't know. Last time we went you couldn't get inside…the cage elevator was broken," He stared at the screen blankly while he said all this. I couldn't say much of anything either. It was gone? The house we grew up in…was gone?

It was the nail in the coffin i guess. The last thing really confirming the rift between us now. Me and them. There was a gap, and there was nothing that could hold it together anymore. The tree house was the last thing we had (or i thought we had) in common and it was gone. We were gone. We were the past, this was the present. We were different people. We had different lives. I wasn't a part of their lives anymore. They weren't a part of mine. Bottom line…that was it. I was here again, and i would leave again. Unless i went out of my way to make sure i stayed, i would be gone in a matter of about a week and a half, and this time i would be gone for good. I knew this. They knew this. So why weren't we doing anything about it?

The door opened and i heard someone walk in. I expected Izzy or Alexa..maybe even Shock, but no such luck. "Hey, Barrel?" I turned to see a tall, very skinny guy with dark, dark hair and bright blue eyes staring us. He was dressed from head to toe in black with plain sneakers on his feet…nothing special, except for the eyes. The blue eyes.

"You seen Shock?"

Shit, shit, shit. Oh fucking no. I did it to her and she did it to me. Karma…i fucking hate Karma. I didn't know who this guy was or what he wanted, but i could suspect. I didn't need a blinking, flashing light. I could figure it out myself. And the only thing i was figuring out was that the rift?

It was bigger than i thought.

-------------------------------------

A/N: so hurrs the deal, i don't wanna give any excuses because i hate it when other authors do it. I've been doing god knows what (guess you'll never know) and i honestly didn't think i was gonna keep writing this because i lost all inspiration for it and everything for a really long time...but shit happened and i got inspired again. THanks for all the reviews guys...especially the people who just review randomly months and months after my last updated because finding those in my inbox really keeps me going. you can also thank fall out boy. you'll find out later.


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